


Love, Resentment, Sacrifice, and Power

by QueenKatelynTheAristocrat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2018-12-14 17:37:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 58,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11788074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenKatelynTheAristocrat/pseuds/QueenKatelynTheAristocrat
Summary: Narcissa Black has always known that her destiny is not her own to control. She will marry a rich pure blood. One that her mother approved of. A rich pure blood like Lucius Malfoy: an older man that looks at her like she's prey to be hunted. In order to protect her sister Andromeda's secret relationship with a muggleborn, Narcissa allows his advances passively... until she remembers that she is not prey and maybe a little intensity and danger are just fine.





	1. Prologue

Narcissa Black always had the strangest feeling that her fate was already woven for her: she was merely following the string wherever it wanted to take her. She was sixteen, however, when she realized -- during the summer after her 6th year of Hogwarts -- how little influence she truly had over the path of her own life.

She'd tell herself, and everyone else, years later that she was not forced into anything, but she never denied that she was coerced, lied to, threatened, and otherwise convinced. Life was a bitch sometimes, but it was even more of a bitch when you were a pureblood aristocratic witch from one of the oldest families, as well as one of three daughters of parents who were really hoping their final child would be a male. No such luck was had by the Master and Mistress of the noble House of Black, and Narcissa knew, as she was simultaneously their youngest, prettiest, and easiest to marry off, that she was going to have to pay for it.

Her penance came in the form of a handsome yet terrifying blonde wizard from Durmstrang who was both three years older and a hell of a lot less innocent than she was -- she could tell by the predatory gleam in his cold blue eyes -- by the name of Lucius Malfoy. Her parents saw him as yet another tie to the Dark Lord -- as if her sister Bellatrix’s vehemence for the cause wasn't enough -- as well as a way to distance themselves from the other, more scandalous, branch of the family, which was headed by her father's brother and tarnished by the betrayal of her cousin Sirius and the idiocy and failure of her cousin Regulus. And, of course, his extensive family fortune was quite a motivation to welcome him to the family.

Of course, Narcissa knew that she would be the one to carry the burden, as her sisters were not truly fit for the job: Bella had already been promised to Rodolphus Lestrange since the day she was born, in order to solidify the ties between the previously feuding families, and the second oldest sister, Andromeda, was not exactly a point of pride to Narcissa’s strict and proper parents. ‘Dromeda had never shown an appreciation for etiquette or pureblood customs: especially arranged marriages.

However, despite the fact that Narcissa could practically see the path her life would take illuminated in the darkness, she still dared to hope for the best on that first evening when one Lucius Malfoy and his parents were invited over for a formal dinner. She was soon to discover that this hope was entirely unfounded and naive.


	2. Enter: Lucius Malfoy, Blonde Aristocrat

 “Just  _ look _ at him ‘Dromeda, have you ever seen a more pompous and revolting display of wealth in your life?” questioned Narcissa as she and her sister made clandestine observations of the newly arrived Malfoy family from the sitting room. There was a glass display case built into the wall, which held a lovely collection of antique vases and easily doubled as a peek hole into the foyer for teenage girls who would later claim that they were merely “working on their calligraphy in the sitting room, sir.” 

  Andromeda snorted in response and countered with “I would have merely gone with arrogant and foolish, Cissy. I would also like to make the statement that blonde hair of the shade is merely an advertisement for pureblood inbreeding.” 

  Narcissa can't hold back her giggle in response, “And look at his parents parade him along like a prize-winning show dog.” 

  “If blonde hair like that makes pureblood-proper, then what does that make us?” Andromeda inquired, twirling a strand of her raven-black hair around her finger. The shade of hair was shared by all three sisters. 

  “Exotic and oriental?” Cissy offered in jest, despite her knowledge of their purely English roots.  

  ‘Dromeda covered her heart in feigned shock “Well, in that case, I can't imagine what such a fine specimen of English blood-purity could possibly want with mutts like us.” 

  Both girls shared a smirk at their jesting words for a moment, until they were interrupted by a voice at the door stating, “Bold words for a woman of nineteen without a single suitor.” 

   Both girls shared a moment of panic before they glanced toward the door with timid resolve… only to let out a breath of relief upon their realization that it was only Bellatrix. 

  “Merlin, you sound like Mother!” Narcissa couldn't stop herself from saying. 

  “Maybe that's because Mother is right. You shouldn't make jokes about the purity of our blood: one would think you were turning blood-traitor, Andromeda.” Bellatrix said, coldly. 

  “Bella, don't --” Narcissa began, but she was cut off by Andromeda’s vehement reply. 

   “What if I am, Sister?” Andromeda asked, in an equally frigid tone. 

   Bellatrix’s eyes lit up with manic fire at those words, “I'd consider my statements more carefully, if I were you,  _ Sister. _ The Dark Lord does not suffer indecision, and he certainly does not tolerate traitors.”

“Oh, just because your husband has the mark, you're suddenly the expert, huh Bella?” Andromeda demanded. 

   “I, myself, will be taking the mark at the next full moon. Soon I'm sure we'll see where your loyalties lie. And you speak like a Plebian. I'd have more care to not pick up bad habits from those you associate with. ” Bellatrix replied, stalking out of the room, but never darling to slam the door behind her. 

  “When will that woman realize that I don't want suitors? I push them away on purpose.” ‘Dromeda said to Narcissa the moment the coast was clear. 

   “Don't be that way, ‘Dromeda. I'm sure Bella thinks she's right.” Narcissa sighed. 

   Silence reigned for a moment, until it was broken by Andromeda’s hesitant “Do I truly begin to speak like Ted?” 

   Narcissa, not of the mind to lie to her sister, merely sighed again and replied, “Only when you lose your temper. And don't worry over the matter: Bella would never turn you in, no matter how often she threatens to.” 

   “I don't know sometimes…” Andromeda began, but was cut off when the Malfoys began moving down the hallway, and Lucius happened to glance through the glass: both girls immediately looked down to the unfinished tasks they held in their laps and pretended to look occupied. 

   However, if Narcissa had been looking up at that moment, she would have noticed how Lucius’s eyes locked on her and gleaned with determination only seen in the eyes of a man who has seen something he wants and intends to get. 


	3. Anxiety at The Dinner Table

There was only one word that could possibly explain dinner that night: excruciating. Even Andromeda didn't dare drop the proper pureblood countenance for even a moment, despite her clear disdain for the theatrics of the matter. 

   The very worst part, however, was that Lucius kept  _ glancing.  _ At first Narcissa wrote it off as a coincidence: the very air of the boy was intimidating, so it was no wonder that his attention sent apprehension and fear tingling down her spine. By, then again, sometimes she thought she saw something predatory in those cold slate eyes. 

   Something that made Andromeda want to move into a protective stance in front of her younger sister. Something that, although Narcissa’s innocence at sixteen kept her from identifying it, caused whatever it was inside her that was fundamentally  _ woman  _ to set of warning bells in her mind. Something that wasn't even trying to disguise itself, as if the boy it belonged to was used to getting whomever he wanted without protest. Something that caused Narcissa real fear, the likes of which she had rarely felt in her young life. 

   Something that caused Narcissa to pray to whichever of the Gods that were listening, old or new, that her parents would  _ not leave her alone with him.  _

   Something that made Narcissa’s gut twist when she imagined being married off to him. 

   As the adults droned on and on about politics, the Dark Lord, and familial alliances -- none of which were things that Narcissa particularly wanted to think about at the moment -- the children were left to their own devices. Cissy and ‘Dromeda were meant to “entertain" but neither of them felt much like making conversation. And besides, the connotations of the word made Narcissa feel nauseous. 

   And yet, the silence was making Narcissa feel more and more like a gazelle stalked by a lion with every moment that passed, and she found herself unconsciously leaning closer to her older sister and reaching her hand toward her under the table. When she grabbed Andromeda’s hand, she squeezed back without hesitation. The sisters did not look at each other, and they did not speak a word of conversation, but they understood each other perfectly all the same. 

   This boy was making them both feel more and more  _ icky _ by the moment, and the most terrifying part was that they could do nothing about it. He chose that exact moment to look over at Narcissa. When he noticed that she was already looking at him, he made eye contact, smirked, and licked his lips before looking away again. Narcissa shivered, and her sister squeezed her hand tighter. 

   Narcissa wasn't sure if Andromeda even realized that her anger was beginning to show through her mask. Either way, something in her glare caused Lucius to raise an eyebrow in contemptuous question. But, if anything at all could be said for Andromeda, it was most definitely that she never backed down. Something in her eyes was enough to stop his glanced for the final minutes of the meal. But, even as Narcissa risked a grateful look at the other girl, she knew that Lucius was far from done with her. 

   As the meal ended, and the Malfoys stood to leave Narcissa felt sharp relief… which was shattered as soon as Lucius started moving towards her. She stiffened up, but there was no way to run. Once he was in front of her, however, he merely extended a hand and said, “Lovely to meet you, Miss Black.” 

   Narcissa very much so did  _ not _ want to touch him, but she forced herself to shake his hand and reply, “And you, as well, Mr. Malfoy.” 

   Narcissa expected him to retreat immediately, but instead of relinquishing his grip on her, he grabbed on with his other hand as well and said, “Don't worry; I will most definitely be returning,” in what she thought he must believe was a seductive tone. Narcissa concentrated on forcing herself not to pull away until he released her. When he finally did, a glance at her parents revealed their delight in the developments of the night. 

   Lucius swept out of the room after his parents, with a final, “Good Evening to you, Lord Black.” The moment the house elves returned from seeing then out to clear the table, Narcissa ran from the room without a backward glance. Andromeda followed seconds later. 

    Alone in the room, Lord and Lady Black exchanged a calculated glance. “Darling, I think we may just have something here.” Lord Black said to his wife. “As do I, my Love.” she replied, thinking merely of the glory a connection to the  _ Malfoys  _ could bring to their tarnished family name. 


	4. Sisterly Love

Andromeda felt nothing but uninhibited fury as she stood outside her little sister’s room. Whether it was fury at her parents, the Malfoys, or just society in general could not be determined. She took a deep breath to make sure her anger didn't show in her eyes, and knocked on the door. “Cissy, can I come in, please?” she asked. 

   She received no answer other than the click of the lock followed by the door creaking open. She walked in and found her sister lying on her back on her bed with a pillow over her face. “Cissy?” she asked, sitting down next to her. 

   “You know, I've always known I was fated for awful things, but I had at least hoped that my Destiny would be better than this,” she answered without moving the pillow, in a broken tone that Andromeda didn't like at all, “Foolish, right?” 

   And Andromeda’s heart broke for her little sister, who had grown up in a world that told her that her Destiny was not her own. “How can you be so sure?”

   In response to this, Narcissa sat up suddenly, and ejected her pillow with enough force to knock a framed picture off the wall it collided with. “How? How can I be sure?” Narcissa laughed with derision beyond her years, “Well, I know  _ you're  _ not planning to make the sacrifices demanded of us by the family name! And we both know Bellatrix isn't suited for subtly nuanced social climbing and clandestine law breaking. And besides, Bella’s already married. Who does that leave, except me?”

   After an outburst such as this, Andromeda might have been angry. She might have been, if not for the years she could see forming in her sister's blue eyes. The tears she always tried so hard to hide. “Merlin, Cissy, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, sorry.” she whispered, feeling like she might very well cry herself. 

   At this, Narcissa jerked her head up as if she'd been shocked, “No, ‘Dromeda, no, I'm sorry. I can't begrudge you your freedom. It's not your fault I can't be like you.”

   It was at this moment that Andromeda realized that her baby sister, the one that she was supposed to protect, had really been protecting her, for several years now. And Narcissa quite clearly planned to sacrifice her life, her freedom, so that Andromeda could keep her own. ‘Dromeda wanted to ask the girl if she fancied herself some sort of Savior, but she knew that would only make things worse. And that Narcissa would try to make the sacrifice anyway. 

   Instead she pulled her little sister into a hug, and squeezed her as if she could force the preconceived notions of ill fated destiny out of her mind. A few minutes later, once Narcissa had stopped shaking, Andromeda remembered, “I'm supposed to go meet Ted tonight, but I'll stay here with you instead. Just let me owl him, and I'll be right back.”

   Andromeda tried to pull away and do just that, but Narcissa grabbed her arms before she could and Said, “No, ‘Dromeda, you should go. You don't get to see him very often. I'm here every day.” she finished, wryly. 

   Andromeda pet her sister's hair, nearly identical to her own, except for the length, and replied, immediately and without deliberation, “Never! Nothing's more important than my sister. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried.” And the decision was sealed with another hug. 

   The silence was only broken a few moments later when Andromeda said, playfully, “I do, however, need to owl him and let him know I won't be there. Or else he'll go mad.” The girls’ giggles echoed in the otherwise silent house. 


	5. The Invitation

The next few days passed without event, but Narcissa never once made the mistake of letting her guard down. As much as she might have wanted to, she never let herself forget. She could see the black and oily threads of her destiny writhing out into the future; ignoring them would not make them go away. 

   And so, Narcissa was not the least bit surprised when an unfamiliar and menacing black owl delivered a sparkling silver card to her at breakfast, nearly a week later. The owl merely stood regally aside after allowing her to untie the glittering parchment, as if it was waiting for a reply. 

   Narcissa’s first reaction after receiving the letter was to ponder the number of charms employed to make parchment shine in such an unnatural way. She figured Lucius thought he was being classy. Narcissa glanced up at the other occupants of the table, all of which were waiting with bated breath for her to open the letter -- her parents most of all. She took a deep breath and proceeded to do just that. 

   Narcissa’s first reaction upon opening the letter was to ponder -- rather more urgently than before -- whether dark magic was employed in order to enchant the letter to float into the air and read itself aloud -- much like a howler but without the yelling -- in a posh and pompous voice while spewing silver glitter into the air. 

   The letter contained the following message: 

         “Addressed to: The lovely and intriguing                            Narcissa Black.

         I hope this letter finds you well. At the risk of sounding too forward, I would like to say that from the moment I saw you, I knew there was something special about you. Maybe I saw something shining in your glimmering blue eyes. Maybe it was something that cannot be described in words, something that cannot be translated to English. No matter what it is, I absolutely insist on experiencing more of it. I would be absolutely delighted if you would join me for dinner in Paris, the exact location having not been determined yet. As per the courting rituals of the Old Families, you may bring a male chaperone of your own choosing. I do hope I will see you tomorrow night. Send your reply with the owl. 

       Signed: Lucius Malfoy" 

   With its message complete, the letter folded back in on itself, once again only silent, but glittery, parchment. Narcissa merely stated at it for a moment in dull, incomprehensible horror. She may not have been surprised, but that did not make her any happier about the situation. 

   Lady Black spoke first, “This is absolutely  _ marvelous,  _ Narcissa! What an advantageous marriage this could be! You must reply at once. Make haste!”

   Narcissa was frozen for a long moment, unable to make herself get up for the parchment and her self-inking quill. Even after her father accio’ed them in front of her, she couldn't make herself pick up the quill and write. She merely sat frozen in what her parents mistakenly believed was astonished delight. 

   It was only when her mother prompted, “Narcissa?” that she was brought, rather abruptly,back to her senses.

   She picked up the quill and scrawled a mere two words in her elegant, curly script: I accept. She followed this with her signature. A house elf brought her a stamp with the Black family crest in order to seal the letter. She did. She then attached the letter to the owl and watched mechanically as it flew back out the window. 

   Her mother was ecstatic, “ _ Wonderful,  _ Narcissa. Can't seem too eager, can we? We must keep him believing we have many other comparable offers. That's how we'll get the best deal…” 

   Abruptly, Narcissa felt rather sick, “Excuse me.” she said, pushing away from the table and dashing for the staircase. The house elves scrambled to clear her place at the table. The silver letter simmered out of existence, and, if the abrupt sound of a door slamming was anything to go by, it must have reappeared in Narcissa’s room. 

   After a few minutes of pleasant conversation, interspersed with Andromeda’s glanced in the direction her sister had taken, Lord Black made an off hand comment such as, “I do hope that letter didn't contain any unbreakable vows or binding spells. That does seem to be the Malfoys’ style.”

   That was the last straw for Andromeda. She left the table without a single word of explanation and took off up the stairs. 

   Left on their own, the Lord and Lady of the house merely shared an indulgent smile and continued with their meal. 


	6. Misery Leads to Brilliant Plans

Andromeda knew it was bad when she found the door to her sister's room locked. Then she heard the unmistakable sounds of spells being fired one after another. Her eyes widened, and she didn't even bother asking Narcissa to open the door. She merely pulled out her wand and whispered  _ alohomora  _ to turn the lock, thanking Merlin that her sister had been too angry to remember to ward the door. 

   Her eyes were immediately met with the sight of her sister in an unmistakable dueling stance, but her only opponent was a sparkly silver card, which was already in the fireplace, even though it wasn't burning. 

   Narcissa had time to cast, “ _ Incendio! Reducto!”  _ and even, “ _ Sectumsempra!”  _ before Andromeda took care of the situation with a calm, “ _ Expelliarmus.”  _

   Andromeda had already caught Narcissa’s wand and his it in her robes by the time her sister spun around and demanded, “Andromeda, you give me my wand!” already beginning to march toward her. 

   Andromeda just caught her wrists and said, “What are you going to do next?  _ Avada  _ it? It's not working. Bring it down a few levels.”

   The anger persisted for only a moment, before it drained out of her, leaving her slumped in Andromeda’s arms. Andromeda led her sister to her bed and made her sit down. 

   “I can't get rid of it.” Narcissa began, shaking, “I tried everything, and I can't get rid of it.” 

   “No kidding…” Andromeda said, gazing, contemplative, at the still-intact letter, surrounded by angry orange flames. “Was that last one one of Sev’s? I've never heard it before.” 

   “Yeah,” Narcissa replied, “I caught him practicing it on pillows in the common room last year. You know the ugly pillows with the serpents? The spell would slice them up and then he would repair them again. When I asked, he told me it was ‘for enemies’.” Narcissa shivered, and it wasn't from the perpetual cold in the old house. 

   Andromeda had no response for that; Severus was a genius, but he was also a bit scary sometimes. Instead she said, “Oh, Cissy, I'm so sorry.” 

   Narcissa still seemed to be in shock or something, because her voice was completely even when she said, “I just don't want to look at it. That piece of rubbish is cursed or something.” 

   Andromeda thought about what her father had said about binding spells and felt something cold run down her spine. Suddenly, she didn't want to look at it either. Andromeda waved her wand and the letter flew out of the fire and into a drawer, which opened and closed again after receiving the letter. It left a trail of silver glitter, which Andromeda cast a  _ Scourgify  _ on, causing it to vanish. 

   “Thank you.” Narcissa whispered, hiding her face in her sister's shirt. Andromeda didn't know.if the letter would stay put or not, so she locked the cabinet for good measure. 

   Andromeda pet her little sister's hair, and said, “ At least you get to bring a chaperone. You won't be alone with him.”

   “Not yet.” Narcissa replied, in an oddly resigned voice, “I wish you could come with me. But I need a  _ male.” _

   “I know, sexist, isn't it?” 

   Suddenly, Narcissa looked up, her eyes wide, “I've just had the most brilliant idea!” 

   “What?” Andromeda asked warily. 

   Narcissa just smiled and summoned some parchment and a quill. 

       “Hey, Sirius.” She began the letter. 

   “I know you're living with the Potters now and everything, but remember how you used to say I was your favorite cousin? Remember that. I need a favor…”


	7. Familial Pressure

“Sirius Black?” was the incredulous response as Narcissa informed her parents of her decision the next day at breakfast. She felt like squeezing her eyes closed and cowering back, but a Pureblood woman never shows her fear. Instead, she responded with false bravado. 

   “Yes, Sirius Black. He is a relative, and a male, and that fits the requirements.” 

    Her mother seemed to consider this. Then her eyes widened as she seemed to come to the realization of some loophole. “Walburga disowned him! He's off the tapestry; a relative no longer!”

   What Lady Black didn't know was that Narcissa had already thought of that. “A tapestry cannot change blood magic. The ancient rituals have not been performed. He may be disowned on paper, but a blood relative he remains.”

   The Lady of the house seemed to be growing annoyed with her daughter's nonchalant attitude, but, to her credit, Narcissa did not once consider backing down. “What about Severus Snape? You're friends, right?” 

   “Severus is not a member of the old families. He's a half-blood. Disqualified.” Narcissa replied, adding silently, and Sev might mean well, but he can't protect me from Lucius. I spend more time protecting Sev from everyone else. 

   Lady Black’s eyes narrowed in response. “What about Rodolphus Lestrange?” she asked. 

   “Not a blood relation! And there's no personal relationship to replace it.” Narcissa replied, still calm and collected. 

   It seemed for a moment that her mother had no reply for that one, but then she just sighed and said, “Can't you take Regulus instead?”

   “He's not old enough.” 

   “ _ Fine _ , Narcissa, do what you want. But when he changes his mind, you will not come crying to me. Don't mess this up, for our family. For your  _ future. _ Opportunities like this come once in a lifetime.” with that, Narcissa’s mother walked away. 

   Andromeda, silent to this point, merely said, “Well, then. That went well.”

   Narcissa just put her head down on the table and cursed Merlin and anyone else she could think of. 

   Lord Black merely commented, “your mother means well. But I have complete confidence in you, Narcissa. You won't mess this up. Or else.” with that, the Lord of the household took his leave, and the sisters were left to themselves. 

   Once their father's footsteps could no longer be heard on the heavy floorboards, Narcissa rose her head, looked directly into her sister's eyes, and said, “‘Dromeda, I think I'm going mad. I can't do it any longer. You should just cart me away to St. Mungo’s right now. I give up!” with that, she dropped her head back into her arms. 

   “you'll be fine, sister dear. I can't possibly take you to St. Mungo’s. I'd miss you too much.”

   Narcissa gave a humorless laugh, and commented, “Well, at least someone here will miss me when I get married off as a child bride to that smug blonde bastard.”

   Andromeda did not laugh. Her eyes only grew sad, because, abruptly, the ugly truth was on the table. Narcissa, having meant her comment in jest, realized only belatedly that her prediction might very well come true. 

   Suddenly, Narcissa felt sick. She both hoped that tonight would never come, for she dreaded it more than anything, and hoped that the time would go faster, for the event itself could not possibly be worse than the dread she felt now. Andromeda said nothing, but she did reach her arm across the table. Narcissa grabbed her hand immediately, not hesitating for a second. 

   “Sisters forever?”

   “Forever.” 

   “And don't you forget it, Cissy.”

   “You sound like a Muggle again.”

   “ _ Damn  _ it.”

   That night couldn't come fast enough, and yet Narcissa wished it would never arrive. 


	8. Enter: The Marauders

When Sirius arrived, it was with an entire hoard of Gryffindors. The magically animated gargoyle that guarded the front door announced the arrival of “Sirius Black and Associates” and left the next move entirely up to Narcissa. Normally, family members would be immediately allowed in, but the whole “disowning" thing tended to make the lines a little blurred. And her cousin’s choice of associates probably didn't help matters with the ancient wards either. 

   Narcissa glanced at Andromeda, who nodded in encouragement, and stood up with a dramatic sigh. She figured that allowing the house elves to deal with this one would not be the best course of action. 

   Narcissa smoothed out her dress as she stood. Her mother had returned with it a few hours ago and forced Narcissa into it. Narcissa thought it made her look much too old, but she also figured that was probably the point. It was a very traditional black dress of wizarding design, and it seemed to scream old wealth. She hated it very much, but she most definitely wouldn't say so. 

   The young witch’s footsteps echoed through the front entry way as she walked recalcitrantly toward the door. She really hoped that James Potter was not out there, but she figured she wouldn't be so lucky. She could forgive her cousin many things, for family stood by family, especially those family members that weren't very well liked by the rest of the family, but she could not forgive Sirius or his friends for their treatment of Severus. Sirius was her cousin, but James was no relation of hers. And that made all the difference. 

   Narcissa opened the door, and her ears were immediately met with rambunctious laughter. Sirius and James were standing outside, along with Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. None of them noticed her at first; they were all much too preoccupied by the argument James was having with the gargoyle. 

   Narcissa thought that this most definitely was not on, due to the fact that she was highly distraught, and also, this was her house, her family's gargoyle, and her crisis they were dealing with. James Potter had no right to steal the attention and piss off the gargoyle in the process. Now it would be angry for weeks! And besides, there was just something about James’ voice that grated on her nerves, but it might have just been her dislike for him. One could never tell with the people they hated the most. 

   Narcissa decided it was just about time to do something about this. And let me tell you, she was quite the sight standing in the doorway with her adorned black dress, her blue eyes gleaming in exasperated anger, and her hair falling in a dark cloud around her face. She looked like power and prestige and beauty. However, after she gained his attention by clearing her throat and reprimanding, “Boys! Would you leave the gargoyle alone, and have some sodding  _ class _ please, because my life is  _ collapsing _ around me, and some damned sympathy would be  _ brilliant, _ thank you!” all Sirius saw was his prim and defiant little cousin. The other three, however, were a bit more intimidated by her outburst.        .    While James, Remus, and Peter backed up a few steps, Sirius just smiled his characteristic wide smile and ran forward to engulf Narcissa in a hug. She may have protested, but she was secretly very happy to see her older cousin again, even if he was a slimy, Gryffindor blood-traitor. 

   “Little Miss Cissy, you haven't changed a bit! Merlin, I've missed you.” he said once he released her. 

   “You know it's only been a month since school, right? You may have been a 7th year, but you were there.” Narcissa replied, faking an entirely unimpressed attitude.

   “Yes, but I never got to see you because you're a manipulative, slimy, green snake. And you were always with Snivillus.” Sirius deadpanned. 

   “What, is our token stupidly brave Gryffindor too scared to venture into the dungeons? And don't call him that in my presence. It's not my fault that your arrogant dictator hero-boy over there stole Lily from us.” Narcissa replied, but she could barely keep from smiling. 

    “Hey, I never saw you making the trip to the lion’s den either!” Sirius shot back. 

   “Cousin, dear, I would like you to think about this for a second. Can you imagine what would happen if I walked up to the Fat Lady, clad in my dark green scarf and fancy robes, and asked to be let in to see my cousin? I'm fairly certain the world would implode.” Narcissa said, slowly and seriously. 

   Sirius thought for a second, then said, “Well. You've got me there.” 

    With that, they both dissolved into giggles, and attacked each other with yet another hug. Both were too preoccupied to notice Remus’ approach as he was the first to gather the courage to do so. They both started as he said, “Narcissa, you forgot to mention his inflated ego and ‘Cool Guy’ reputation. Those are always good attack points.” 

    Narcissa smiled gratefully for the attempt at an armistice of sorts, and replied, “You know what? You're right. Siri is just much too ashamed of his evil, scheming Slytherin relatives to even speak to them in public. He must save the affection for the times when he's out of the view of his adoring public.” 

    “You mean James’ adoring public. Padfoot is just there as the sidekick.” Remus added. 

    “Hey!” Sirius said. “I am not the sidekick. If anyone, Wormtail is the sidekick.” 

    Peter seemed to consider this for a second before he nodded and said, “I'll accept that criticism. I'm pretty sure I am the sidekick. Right, Prongs?” 

    This, of course, drew James into the conversation, but Narcissa was too happy to see Sirius again to complain. “No, Wormtail, you are not the sidekick. You are very, very important to our organization, and we could not operate without you. We all contribute equally to our combined genius.” James answered, amicably. 

    “Combined genius, my arse! I am the brains of this operation. All Wormtail does is bring the snacks.” Remus chimed in. 

    “Moony, you're right.” Sirius said to Remus, grabbing his arm solemnly, “But the snacks are also very essential. Someone has to raid the kitchens, and my relationship with the house elves is less than amicable.” 

    Remus rolled his eyes and Narcissa snorted, “ _ Less than amicable.  _ You know, Kreacher has been much more pleasant since you left. I'm inclined to think you tortured that poor elf!” she said. 

   Sirius scoffed, “Poor elf,” he mocked, “That thing is  _ vile _ . He makes me angry, and you know how well known we are for our tempers, Cissy.” 

    “Oh, stop.” Narcissa replied, “You know you provoked him.” 

   “While it cannot be denied that I may have done so,” Sirius justified, “I reserve the right to say that Kreacher started it just as many times as I did. Hey! How's our family of Sociopaths doing?” 

    “Just brilliant.” Narcissa responded, “I must say that I've missed you at Society Gatherings. You always were the life of the party.” 

   Sirius snorted, “I always got  _ thrown out _ of the party.”

   “Yes, but it was always entertaining!” Narcissa teased.

    “You make light of my misery! You wound me.” Sirius proclaimed dramatically. 

    “Yes, Well, my miseries are far worse. Oh, Siri, I've missed you! You should come visit sometimes.” Narcissa said, sobering, and knowing that her invitation could never be accepted. Such was the nature of the world they lived in.

   Sirius sobered as well, and said, “You could always come visit me, you know. Have Andromeda take you.” 

   Narcissa smiled a half smile, “As if I'd be welcome at the Potter's stronghold of red and gold and courage.” 

   James, whom Narcissa had nearly forgotten about, so caught up in her conversation she was, said, “You would be, You know. Any true cousin of Padfoot’s is a cousin of mine. You are welcome any time.”      Narcissa thought she might never get used to their strange nicknames, despite the fact that Sirius had divulged to her the secret of their animagus forms several years back. 

    “Thank you.” Narcissa said as civilly as possible, under the circumstances, “But I very much doubt that you'll feel the same way once I'm married off to Lucius Malfoy.” 

   The atmosphere in the air immediately changed, dropping down several levels back into worry and despair. “Cissy…” Sirius began, and Narcissa could see the sympathy in all of their eyes, even James, with whom she'd never had a pleasant relationship. 

   “No, I'm sorry.” Narcissa cut him off, “I shouldn't… I shouldn't complain. It is what it is, right?” 

   Instead of alleviating the sympathy, as she had intended, her words just exacerbated it. “Cissy, I know I'm not often very serious, which is highly ironic considering my name, but getting back to the point, I'm being very serious right now when I say that you are stronger than him. It is most definitely not what it is. You will never belong to him, and you will never belong to Voldemort.” Sirius assured her. 

   To her credit, Narcissa did not even flinch at the mention of the Dark Lord's true name. “Do you really believe that?” was all she said. 

    “I do. You might be a brilliant actor, but you're not the type to do whatever they tell you to. If you end up fighting the power from the inside, Well, just know that they can never own your soul. Not even with Imperious.” Sirius claimed, As earnest as she'd ever seen him. 

   After yet another hug, Narcissa said, “Thanks, Siri. I needed that.” 

   “Well, Padfoot, this is a new side of you. If you were ever this nice at school no one would have believed it was you.” Remus said, breaking the tension.

   “Oh, shut it, You.” Sirius said, “Maybe I'm growing up.” 

   “What do we always say, Padfoot?” James reprimanded, “We are all Peter Pan: we never grow up!” 

    “Was that a Muggle reference?” Narcissa asked the crowd. 

   “It might have been.” Sirius addresses her, “The question is, how did  _ you  _ know it?” 

    Before Narcissa could answer that, Andromeda said, from the now open doorway, “From me. Ted has been slowly teaching me about Muggle culture. He says he's trying to convert me.” 

   Sirius moved passed Narcissa to embrace Andromeda as well. “‘Dromeda, good to see you.” he said, “I just wish it was under better circumstances.” 

    “As do I, Siri.” Andromeda replied, “Now, are you lot ever coming inside? We've got things to do, and the time is almost here.” 

    At the reminder, Narcissa felt her heart pick up again. All the bantering had nearly had her forgetting the reason the unlikely group was gathered there. 

   “Of course.” Sirius said, and led the way after Andromeda and into the house. Narcissa followed, numbly, once again debating mentally whether she'd rather the dreaded moment never arrived or she'd rather it would hurry up and arrive so she could get it over with. This one day at a time mentality, of course, allowed her to forget the fact that she'd have to see Lucius many times after the night was over. She wasn't even  _ thinking _ about that at the moment. 

   Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see Remus next to her, looking at her with true sympathy, not the kind conjured in a moment of heavy emotion. “Padfoot’s right, You know. You will be fine, I'm sure of it.” 

   Narcissa smiled genuinely, and said, “Thank you.” 

   Remus just nodded and release her. Together they walked into the formal sitting room. 

   As much as Narcissa appreciated the words of encouragement, they didn't do much to stop her from panicking. This was the kind of distress where you panicked and panicked and there wasn't really anything that could stop. Narcissa had always known that it was her destiny to feel an unfair proportion of the world’s supply of this kind of despair. It just was what it was.


	9. A Standoff

By the time Lucius actually showed up, only Sirius, Narcissa and Andromeda were left in the formal sitting room. The other boys had left only minutes ago through the floo network, which was now, thanks to Narcissa, officially connected to the Potter’s house -- what her parents didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them-- each with their own humorous, yet sincere, well-wishes and encouragements. 

   This left only a few tense moments before the gargoyle announced the arrival of “Lucius Malfoy, Heir to the Malfoy Estate.” 

   Narcissa’s breathing immediately sped up, and Andromeda grabbed her hand for a moment in silent support before releasing her again and reassuring an air of sophistication and power. Sirius merely smiled at her and winked before taking up the persona of a proper Black descendent. At least for the moment. 

    Unlike before, Narcissa had the feeling that she was better off allowing the House Elves to handle  _ this  _ guest, so she made no move to rise from her place on the sofa. She just tried to remember how to breathe, despite her restrictive dress. 

   When the house elf led Lucius into the sitting room, Narcissa forced herself to stand and greet him. He scanned her up and down once with an almost predatory gaze before smiling at her with cold eyes and greeting, “The  _ lovely _ Narcissa, how wonderful to see you again.” 

   Narcissa forced herself to hold out her arm, palm down and return, “And you, Mr. Malfoy.”

   Lucius grabbed her wrist without hesitation and kissed the back of her hand, making even this polite gesture unnecessarily seductive. Narcissa tried very hard to conceal her shudder, but, judging by his smirk, Lucius noticed it nonetheless. 

   He then turned to the rest of the room, “Miss Andromeda Black, glad we could meet again.” he said with a nod, which Andromeda returned, taking care to conceal the look in her eyes. 

   Finally, his eyes came to rest on Sirius, and his expression darkened instantly. For a moment, Narcissa wondered if they already knew each other, but then Lucius said, “And you are? I don't believe we've been acquainted.”

   Sirius rose and held his hand out for Lucius to shake, which he did, and said, “Sirius Black. Glad to make your acquaintance.” with only a hint of the edge he was capable of. 

   Lucius looked as if his dark thoughts had been confirmed as he replied, “I had been informed that there were no living male descendants of the Black line. Am I mistaken?” 

   Because of  _ course _ Lucius was only thinking of the Black family property and Gringotts vaults he stood to gain through marriage. Narcissa was disgusted. 

   Sirius allowed a hint of his mischievous smile to show through his mask as he said, “Not to worry, I am merely a cousin. And, either way, I've been disowned so it doesn't much matter.”

   Lucius looked genuinely flabbergasted for a moment, but then he regained his composure and inquired, “For what offense, may I ask?”

   “Well, to start off, I'm a Gryffindor. Furthermore, I'm a blood traitor and have been a blood traitor since I fell in with the Potter family. I'm sure you've heard of  _ them.”  _ Sirius replied, quite smugly. Narcissa barely prevented her laughter from escaping. 

    Now Lucius merely looked confused, “And they've let you chaperone this evening despite your standing with the family?” 

   “No.” Sirius said, “Lord Black protested very vehemently against my presence on his property.” 

   “Then…” Lucius began, but Narcissa herself cut him off, summoning her bravery from some place hidden deep inside her. 

   “I insisted. Equally as vehemently.” she said, boldly, and without a hint of shame. 

   “It seems to me it must've been quite a bit more so.” Lucius answered her slowly with narrowed eyes, as if just now realizing that he had been underestimating her for quite a while now. 

    “Presumably, yes.” was all she said in response. Lucius looked away. 

   When she caught Andromeda’s eye, however, she saw pride reflected there. Pride tainted with fear that her little sister was getting herself into a dangerous game: one that she did not particularly want her to play. But play she must, for she would not be a pawn in this game of chess. If anything, she planned to be the queen. And this queen has a lot more at stake than a simple win or lose. 

   “Well then.” Lucius said after a moment, “Shall we be off?” He offered his arm to Narcissa. She took it with more than a little trepidation. She did not fancy being so close to him. Sirius led the way out the door and past the wards, and promptly apparated away. Lucius must've told him the location while Narcissa had been distracted. 

   Lucius and Narcissa crossed the threshold next, with Andromeda behind them to close the door. She whispered, “Good luck, Cissy.” before doing so. 

   Once they reached the sidewalk, Lucius pulled Narcissa into a side-along apparation to their destination. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

   Narcissa landed with grace only gained through a lifetime of apparating outside an extravagant restaurant called, “Darkest Night.” She shuddered at the thinly veiled reference to Death Eaters and the dark arts. Sirius was already waiting for them outside. 

    “Lovely place you've chosen, Malfoy.” he commented, the disgust clear in his voice. He was a Gryffindor, and this sort of place went against his sturdy principles. Narcissa herself had no problem with the venue. The man who had chosen it, however, she had a few issues with. Not that there was much she could do about it. 

   Lucius pulled her forward passed Sirius and into the restaurant. As they passed, he replied, “I wanted to be sure of a location free of Mudbloods.” 

   Sirius’s eyes hardened as he heard the insult, and he made to move forward, but Narcissa placed a hand on his arm in warning as she walked past. Sirius caught her eye and she shook her head. She tried to convey that he shouldn't rise to his bait: Sirius had revealed that he was a blood traitor, and Lucius was going to take advantage of that in order to try to get a rise out of him.

   After a second, Sirius nodded and his expression cleared. He understood. This was critical. Lucius wasn't watching them, but he smirked as if he was as the interaction played out. “Shall we?” he said, and led them inside. 


	10. A First Date

 The place was expensive, that much was certain. The entire atmosphere reeked of money and prestige. It was quite clear that Lucius meant to impress them, but he clearly didn’t take into account the fact that Narcissa was not easily impressed. And her cousin was not likely to be won over through money and luxury. Lucius was trying to play a game of chess, but Narcissa refused to put her pieces on the board. She liked to pretend that this gave her some sort of quantifiable power. 

   Dinner went very, very slowly. The lights were dimmed and the air was warm. Music was constantly playing, due to a charm that evaluated the music preferences of each person and allowed them to hear whatever they wanted to hear. The waiters were humans rather than house elves, and Narcissa had a sinking suspicion that they were muggles under the Imperious Curse. She was sure that this was meant to please those patrons who enjoyed displaying their power over those without magic. 

   Lucius barely looked away from her the entire night. The conversation was bland, and aristocratic in nature. Narcissa could feel Sirius’s resentment for Lucius and all he represented, but, to his credit, he did not explode in anger even once. Besides, it rather seemed like Lucius would prefer Sirius wasn’t there at all. The way he looked at Narcissa made her very glad indeed that they were not here alone. Desire that strong couldn’t possibly be anything but terrifying for the subject of it. But Narcissa endured. 

   Narcissa endured, because she didn’t stop telling herself all night that once it was over, she would have a reprieve. She knew, however, that any possible break would only be temporary, for she knew her duty and planned to serve it. She was the only one who could make this sacrifice, and she intended to follow through with it. But she still wished the night would end sooner rather than later. 

   The worst part of the night, however, came after the meal was finished. Conversation had stilted, and Narcissa was hoping to Merlin that she would be allowed to leave soon. But fate was most definitely not kind. 

   Just when she was starting to hope that she would be allowed to end this nightmare sooner rather than later, Lucius stood up and held out a hand to her, with the words, “Would you allow me the honor of a dance?” 

   Narcissa really didn’t want to dance with him. She didn’t want to be that close to someone who terrified her so much, and she did not want to give the poncy git anything he wanted. As he stared into her eyes steadily, with the accompaniment of that characteristic smirk, she already knew that he would object if she refused, but when she glanced over at Sirius, she saw something in his face that told her that if she truly meant to refuse, he would defend her. But Narcissa knew her duty, and no one would accuse her of unwillingness to sacrifice. 

   “Of course, Mr. Malfoy.” she replied, standing with an ease that she did not feel and allowing him to take her hand. Another glance at Sirius told her that he’d intervene in a second if she felt threatened, but she knew he wouldn’t have to. It was entirely within her power as a woman to protect herself. 

   “Please, call me Lucius.” he drawled, drawing her back out of her thoughts. Narcissa did not think it sounded very much like a request. She was going to have to do something about that. 

   “And why should I do that, Mr. Malfoy?” she asked, as he led her to the dance floor and they began to dance. Narcissa took up the position naturally. She had been trained for it, after all. 

   “Because.” Lucius replied, looking at her with a bit more respect, “I’m fond of you. And since I’m not fond of many people, those that I  _ am _ fond of deserve the honor.”

   “So you’d call it an honor?” 

   “If you’d allow me the same privilege, I would most definitely consider it an honor, lovely Narcissa.” The conversation paused as he spun her around and then back into his arms. 

   “Ah, but I have not given you permission yet, you realize.” Narcissa felt entitled to a smirk of her own for once. 

   “Call me optimistic.” 

   “Or presumptuous.” 

   “Whichever you’d prefer.”

   “Of course.” 

   They spun again, and Narcissa used the time to gather her thoughts. The banter was much too easy to lose oneself in. She had to remember who she was dealing with. 

  “Do you ever lose that icy mask, Precious?” he asked as they came back together. 

  Narcissa chuckled darkly for a moment, but then responded, “Depends. Do you ever lose that arrogant smirk?”

   Lucius came the closest to smiling then than he had all night. Perhaps it was due to what he perceived as Narcissa’s willing participation in his game. “Why do you laugh?” he questioned. Narcissa supposed that two could play the redirection game. 

   But she decided to answer this one outright, and honestly. “I think you’ll find in time why few would ever dare call me ‘Precious.’” she said the word like one would hurl an insult. 

   Lucius chuckled in response. “I find darkness alluring. And you are very dark. This makes you quite precious to me.” The dance forced the conversation to a standstill once more. 

   “The nickname still does not please, all the same.” she replied once she had the chance. 

   “What would, pray tell?” the smirk was back. Narcissa could feel it, although she looked into his eyes. 

   “I don’t see why I should tell  _ you.” _ she said, before she could help herself. The dance slowed as they focused more intensely on each other. 

   “Of course. For that would be far too easy, correct?” he shot back, clearly taking her statement as an invitation to find out for himself. 

   “What concern is it of yours, in any case?” she asked, another attempt to redirect. 

   But of course, the bastard would not be redirected, “Earlier you said I’d discover things about you ‘in time.’ That would seem to imply that it will be my concern. Perhaps for the rest of my life.” Narcissa shivered, but not in a good way. Of course, Lucius had to take it the wrong way, though. 

   “Presumptuous, again?” she asked, trying to regain control. They had stopped moving entirely now, more than sufficiently distracted by the conversation. 

   “Always, lovely Narcissa.” he leaned forward, and she nearly surrendered herself to it. It didn’t much matter how long she could put it off, for this was to be her life regardless. She might as well get used to it now. But then an excuse presented itself, and she took it, like the cowardly Slytherin she was. 

   The song ended, and so she whispered, lips centimeters from his, “And that, Mr. Malfoy, signals the end of the dance you were promised.” 

   He did not look disappointed, as she had expected, when she pulled away. His eyes merely gleamed with challenge, as if her resistance gave him all the more reason to redouble his efforts. 

   “So it does, Precious.” he responded, with a collected demeanor that she was absolutely certain was practiced. 

   She laughed cynically, just once. “And you say I have an icy exterior.”

   He raised an eyebrow as if he had not expected that. “You do. There is nothing more alluring to ice than more ice. Any amount of warmth would just… cause it to melt.” 

   Narcissa just looked at him for a moment. “Well, one of us is going to have to melt first if we plan to get anywhere.” 

   “Indeed.” Was all he said, but even that much conveyed that he didn’t plan to be the one to do so. Narcissa would just see about that. 

   He once again took her arm as he led her back to the table where Sirius was waiting for them to collect their things. 

   Sirius did not speak as they approached, but the look he gave her more than conveyed his message -- “Good work, Cissy.” 

   “You will accompany me to the Society Gathering next Saturday evening.” Lucius said as they left the building. 

   Narcissa raised an eyebrow. “And if I refuse?” 

   “No consequence. Although I presume you’ll be there anyway. Your parents will. It’s at my family home. I’m merely offering to escort you.” 

   “Well, in that case, I cannot possibly refuse.” And in all honestly, Narcissa truly didn’t see a way that she could. 

   “Wonderful.” was all she received in reply. 

   When they arrived back at her home, her mother was waiting for her, along with Andromeda. She watched the pair of them with intelligent, and far too knowing, eyes. 

   He released her when they finally stopped in front of the door. “Farewell, lovely Narcissa, until next weekend.” he ran his fingers down her arm in farewell, and didn’t seem all that concerned when she pulled away unconsciously. But Narcissa couldn’t help but see her mother’s expression darken as she noticed the gesture. 

   “Goodbye. Lucius.” She responded, and he smiled as if he had won a victory of some sort, although he had to know the name was only because her mother was watching. 

   He apparated away the moment he made it to the sidewalk. Narcissa then turned to Sirius. “Thank you. I’ll speak to you soon.” she said, in place of goodbye, for she knew her cousin would not let her walk away again so soon after he’d found her. 

   Sirius looked between her and her mother, and then his eyes met hers in silent question. He knew how their parents were, both his and hers. Did she want him to stay? 

   She shook her head, almost imperceptibly. She could handle her own mother. She had to, if she was going to survive an entire lifetime of Lucius Malfoy. 

   Sirius did walk away, albeit reluctantly. He departed with a significant look, however, one that was easy to read: “If you ever need me…” 

   Narcissa promised herself that she would take him up on that promise, if the need ever arose. She had little else she could count on, in this world determined to take away anything that could be depended upon. She reconsidered as she met her sister’s concerned gaze. Perhaps there was one other thing she could count on for the rest of her days…


	11. A Mother's Advice

The moment he departed, however, her mother turned to her and said in a voice so cold it could have put out fiendfyre, “Narcissa, we need to have a conversation.” before turning and walking from the room, as if entirely certain that her daughter would follow. 

   “Yes, Mother.” she said, wondering what the hell else she could be subjected to tonight. Andromeda watched them carefully as their mother led Narcissa from the room, but she made no move to interfere. Narcissa knew she’d put up wards that would warn her if any spells started flying, but she knew better than to try anything direct. That would just  make their mother angry. And one did not want to see Lady Black angry. 

   It was only when they’d reached the drawing room that her mother turned around and looked at her. And her eyes were cold. “Narcissa, you know how important this marriage is.” 

   She wasn’t yelling. At least she wouldn’t explode in anger. “Yes, Mother, of course I do.” 

   “Really, because it seems as if you do not.” was the immediate reply. Narcissa would not flinch. 

   “Believe me, Mother, I do. I would never do anything to sabotage my prospects, I swear to you. I fully intend to do everything I can to secure this alliance.” And she truly did. She didn’t understand what her mother had to be angry about. She had gone to dinner, she had been polite to Lucius, and she had done all of this compliantly, without a single complaint. What else could her mother possibly want from her? 

   “Anything? From what I’ve seen, this is not the truth, Child.” Lady Black said. Narcissa tried not to resent the fact that this woman demanded so much from her and then had the nerve to call her a child. 

   She tried to focus on the conversation at hand. “I don’t understand what you mean, Mother, forgive me.” 

   “You act very cold with him. You pull away when he makes gestures of affection. That is not the route to a man’s heart.” was what she received in answer. 

   Narcissa still did not understand for the barest of seconds, but then she understood. It was not only his heart that her mother wished for her to cater to. For a moment, she felt sick to her stomach. She would have to play this very carefully. 

   Narcissa forced herself to smile like a woman with a plan, and replied, “You misunderstand my actions, Mother. You see, the more I make him chase me, the deeper he’s drawn. I’ll have him running after me like a lost puppy soon enough.” 

   She couldn’t quite tell if her mother was fooled. “This will only work for as long as he is willing to chase. A dog will not follow you forever if he is given no reward for his pursuance. Eventually, he will tire of waiting, and a woman can never know when she has pushed too far. The mind of the male is strange and unpredictable. If you hold out for too long, he will walk away at the very moment when you think you have him exactly where you want him.” 

   “But if he gets what he wants with no resistance, he’ll have nothing to stick around for.” she attempted to counter. 

   Her mother’s smile was dark. Her eyes could pierce through metal. “You underestimate the power a woman possesses. You may not have found it yet, but trust me when I say that you will. Turn yourself into an addiction, and no man will be able to walk away. Give him what he wants. But make sure that he cannot live without more.” 

   And this was when Narcissa discovered that there was nothing more terrifying than being told to use a power that she did not know she had, and had absolutely no idea how to employ. She had a feeling that the sort of man she was dealing with was not likely to fall for ameature charms. Her mother was asking her to enter a power struggle that she was sure she would lose. A man like this was the type who would turn your own plans against you, addict you to his own power, and walk out entirely unscathed. And then she would have even less power than she had by holding out. But Narcissa also realized that there was absolutely nothing she could say other than, “I understand, Mother.” 

   “Good. Be sure that you do. For right now, your power lies in making him want it so much that he cannot possibly walk away. But this power will run out. So make sure that you wait, but do not wait for too long.”

   “I won’t.” 

   “When you see him again, resist. And when you choose to stop resisting, make sure he knows that it is due to a decision of your own and not to anything he has done. It will not do for that man to become any more confident in his own charms.” Her mother concluded, and with that she gestured in a way that let Narcissa know that she was dismissed. She left the room as quickly as possible. 

   She went straight to her own room, warded the door, and collapsed on her bed. She was terrified. She knew how this was going to end, but she was still terrified. The inevitability of an outcome does not lessen its virulence. But no one was going to accuse Narcissa Black of being a coward. 

   And if her sister was outside the door, whispering for Narcissa to let her in and talk to her,  _ please,  _ she pretended she didn’t notice. And if Andromeda came back a few hours later and tried again, Narcissa told herself that she didn’t hear a single thing. Because this was her burden to bear. And she could not tell Andromeda right now, because she would be angry with their mother, and try to convince Narcissa that she didn’t have to make this sacrifice. But Narcissa knew that she would. Eventually. 

   She would hold out as long as she could, of course, but, as she had said, she understood the necessity of the marriage. And she was willing to do anything to secure it. No matter how much the thought of being that close to Lucius Malfoy disgusted her. No matter how much she wished she could run away like Sirius had -- as if she had anywhere to run to. No matter how much she wished she could marry someone, anyone else. This was her burden to bear, so bear it she would. That was the only thing to do. 


	12. Society Gathering (Also Known As: Pureblood BS)

   Society gatherings. They were horrid affairs, and Narcissa would much rather have been anywhere else. But here she was, in a certain blonde man’s home, surrounded by snobby rich people, dressed in an expensive gown with the Black family crest, and attempting to employ feminine charms. Or something. 

   She’d spent the evening being paraded around by a Malfoy, and she’d done her best to remain at a distance, while still making sure her mother saw her being agreeable. It was a delicate balance, but she could manage it. The evening went by in a blur of conversations, wine that she didn’t drink, and dancing. She learned somewhere along the line that Lucius had a thing with dancing. 

   “You know, I’ve never had a better dance partner.” he whispered to her like a secret about halfway through the seventh dance of the night. 

   A glance over his shoulder told her that her mother was watching. Excellent. “Well, I was classically trained, just like you. You can blame my mother.” she replied, trying to sound interested. 

   He smirked and shook his head. “I don’t think this can be accredited to Lady Black. It’s a natural grace that allows me to do this,” Narcissa was quite suddenly spun and dipped. Following this, she found herself with her back pressed against his chest. He whispered the rest of the sentence in her ear, “and you are still entirely unphased. It’s a gift, Precious.” She shivered involuntarily. She had not a second to think before she was once again facing piercing gray eyes. He seemed dangerous, but Narcissa had absolutely no idea what she could do about it. 

   “I think you’ll find I’m gifted at more than just dancing.” she whispered back, with a smirk of her own for once. She had no idea where that came from, but she was just glad to have a way to regain some of her own power…

    Or so she thought, until he just maintained eye contact and said, “I don’t doubt it, Precious.” 

    She was the one to look away first. She searched for her mother’s eyes in the crowd. When she met them, she found a sort of approval mixed with a demand for… something. Narcissa couldn’t tell what. 

   “I believe we had a conversation about that word.” she changed the subject. 

   “What, Precious?” he rose an eyebrow. She glared. He smirked. “I thought  _ I  _ replied that I do find you precious. But not for the reason that man over there would.” She followed his gaze despite herself, and ended up meeting the eyes of a pompous looking Hogwarts boy with brown hair. One who did not look a fraction as dangerous as the one currently holding her in his arms. In fact, he looked like a weakling. He smiled. She glared. Was she not to catch a single break tonight?

   “Why must I  _ always  _ be subjected to prissy bastards like that?” she muttered, eyes cast downward. 

   She had not meant for Lucius to hear her comment, but when she looked back up it was clear that he did. She could practically hear him saying that if he had his way, she never would again. He picked up as if he’d never left off, “He would find you precious because of your beauty. He would be stupid enough to call you  _ delicate.  _ I think you’re powerful. And power is very precious to me. Both our families could do with the alliance, as well. Where’s your sister tonight?” 

   The abrupt change in subject nearly caught her off balance, but she’d played this game before. “Whatever do you mean? Bellatrix and Rodolphus are here.” She turned to look over to where her eldest sister was situated in a crowd of known Death Eaters. When Bella saw her looking she smiled approvingly, and a little maniacally. She quickly looked back to her… date? 

   “And the protective instincts kick in.” Lucius said, “You know which sister I mean.” The truth was, Andromeda had snuck out to meet Ted, and, therefore, was not present at the ball that evening. 

   “Well --” Narcissa began, but Lucius spared her the need to come up with excuses. 

   “I know she’s not here. As the Malfoy heir I’m attuned to the wards. I know who is and isn’t on my property.” he informed her. 

   She felt the words travel down her spine. That was good to know at least. 

   “Except my mother and father. The wards cannot tell me their whereabouts. The house obeys them as well.” he continued. 

   Narcissa studied his face. She couldn’t be entirely certain, but it seemed as if his words were meant to reassure her. Perhaps he meant to tell her that if she was his wife, he would not be able to track and control her. Well, only way to find out was to test the waters. “So, to you a wife is not property?” 

   He seemed pleased that she understood the hint. “No. To a Malfoy, a wife is a partner.” 

   “In crime?” she asked, only a little wary.  

   She was spun and dipped again. “In crime. In life. In conquest. A wife is a confidant and an advisor. She must be a match in intelligence and ambition. I suppose you’d call me presumptuous again if I said that I think I may have found one?” 

   Narcissa couldn’t breathe. She finally managed to reply, “What, no beauty requirement? What about the blood type?” 

   He knew what sort of “Blood Type” she was referring to, and it wasn’t the same thing the muggles ask you before you donate. “Neither were necessary to bring up. You meet both quite easily, lovely Narcissa.” 

   Merlin, how she wished she had any idea what she was getting herself into. Her heart was fluttering like a bird captured by a cat, and she knew Lucius could feel it. There were some reactions that couldn’t be hidden by the most delicate of posturing. The song chose that moment to end. “Shall we take a break? You seem a bit flustered.” 

   “What? Oh, yes. Sure.” she replied, and then cursed herself. She might as well have just handed over control like a ribbon-wrapped gift with one sloppy reply. Lucius even gave her an amused look that told her that he knew he was forfeiting a perfect opportunity, and was doing so out of kindness. Narcissa wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that. 

   Narcissa allowed him to take her arm and lead her over to the side, out of the way of the dance. She held on even after they were out of the way. She did have an affection quota to fill, after all. 

   Moments later, someone said, “Malfoy! Come join us, just for a moment.” 

   Narcissa looked over and her eyes were met with the sight of several rich and slightly dangerous looking boys. The one who had spoken was an imposing man with straight black hair and glittering black eyes. He looked past her as if she didn’t exist. 

   “Parkinson!” Lucius greeted, then turned to Narcissa. “Do you mind, Lovely?” 

   Narcissa smirked as the decision, and the eyes of every man in the group, was turned over to her. At least he hadn’t called her Precious. 

   “Of course not, Darling. I’m sure I can find someone to occupy my time.” she replied. 

   “Brilliant.” he replied, and winked at her out of view of the boys in appreciation for the show for his friends. 

   They walked in opposite directions, and Narcissa could hear the inquisition beginning behind her, and smirked. 

   It was just as well that she met with a friend in the corner, because otherwise she was merely planning to sit there by herself. She wasn’t very fond of these things, although she could navigate them with mock-ease. And also, she needed to consider how comfortable she was becoming with Lucius, and how quickly it was happening. It was beginning to make her uneasy. 

   However, she found companionship in her self-imposed exile in the form of a boy with long, slick black hair and dark eyes, scribbling purposefully in a potions textbook. Her friend didn’t even notice her until she slid down the wall to sit next to him. “Hey Sev. Nice hiding place. Great Slytherin minds think alike, right?” 


	13. Enter: Severus Snape

Severus looked up from his book in surprised hostility, a pretense that faded once he realized who it was -- although it did not vanish completely. (It never really did). “Hello Narcissa. I should have known you would be intruding upon my peace at some point in this evening. We are, as you say, the greatest minds currently in Slytherin.”   
Narcissa grinned. Sev’s cold words had no effect upon her, as she was one of the few people in the world who knew that he did not mean them. “What, not the greatest in the school?” she asked innocently. “Oh yes, I nearly forgot! I cannot possibly be put above the great Lily Evans, your fellow potions protege who is also notoriously the only Gryffindor brave enough to invade the dungeons…”   
Severus glared at her, but only after his belatedly successful attempt to hide his amused reaction to her reference to the Slytherin Dungeons’ reputation -- while the dungeons were, in actuality, quite cozy with a rather relaxed atmosphere, the rest of the school was kept under the impression that the Slytherins’ home was damp, dark, and gloomy: a place fitting for the children of the Darkest Wizards in Britain. Narcissa herself believed the entire thing to be quite ridiculous.   
Narcissa laughed at her own joke once it was made clear that Severus was not going to do so, and after a moment, during which Severus’s glare had not toned down in the least, Narcissa rolled her eyes fondly and hit him playfully on the arm, “Come on, Sev, you know I only tease. How’s Lily doing anyway? Have you two made up yet?”   
She really did hope that Sev and Lily had sorted out their differences: Severus was almost unbearably melancholy without her and besides, Narcissa even missed Lily’s presence herself sometimes.   
Sev’s glare softened at Narcissa’s questions, but it was soon replaced by a bitter look that Cissy didn’t think much of an improvement. “I wouldn’t know how Lily is. But if I had to guess, I’d say she’s probably off happily snogging James Potter somewhere at this very moment while I am stuck here in this hell hole that my mother calls ‘Opportunity’”  
Sev looked so very miserable underneath his prickly facade that Narcissa couldn’t help but wrap her arms around him in an ill-received hug. He tensed up immediately, but Cissy didn’t lose heart: she knew that the fact that Severus hadn’t pushed her away completely meant that he trusted her very much. And although there had been a time when she had felt that she’d rather Lily disappeared and left Severus for her and her only, that time was far in the past. Narcissa knew how her life would go, of course, and Severus was not complete without the girl that he was so undeniably in love with. “I’m sorry. If it makes you feel any better, my mother has forced me here so that I can ‘Win the Heart’ of a certain disagreeable blonde boy. Can you guess which one?”  
Severus pulled back and smirked at her. “Lucius Malfoy, of course. An arrogant prat if I’ve ever seen one -- and believe me, I have.” Narcissa rolled her eyes at his subtle jab at James Potter. “I sympathize with your situation very much, Cissy, believe me, but I find myself currently in one to rival even yours for general awfulness.”   
She raised her eyebrows at his challenge. “Oh? And what might that be?”   
“I, Severus Snape, will be taking the Dark Mark in roughly two weeks. That is the ‘Opportunity’ I am here today to secure.” he said.   
Narcissa was struck, her playful manner dissipating as if it had never existed. “Severus.” she said, her voice full of sympathy mixed with reproach.   
He turned to her suddenly, “What, Narcissa? What?”   
His sudden defensive attitude shocked her, but she continued nonetheless. “Sev, you can’t. That’s just…” she couldn’t find the words to describe what, exactly, that was. “Severus.” she merely repeated again.   
He laughed bitterly, and then said, “You know as well as I do, Narcissa, that it’s not my choice. You think I want to be claimed by a mad man? You think I want to pledge myself to the murder of innocent people, the murder of people like Lily? My mother wants to reclaim our family honor. As if we had any to begin with. Besides, you of all people should understand. You’re the one marrying him.” He nodded his head towards the crowd of men that Lucius was currently ensconced in. He was laughing ostentatiously at something Parkinson had said, and the gleam in his eye was a little unnerving, even from Narcissa’s position across the room. Or maybe it was only because she had seen the look in his eyes up close and personal.   
Narcissa was struck in that moment by the unfairness of it all, of the injustice done to each and every one of them. Every young witch or wizard in the room had been weighed down by expectations and pressures unbeknownst to those who called them all cowards. There were no options. Only duty. Duty to family and duty to self. And when they conflicted, family always came first. That was just the way things were. But that didn’t make Narcissa any less resentful, any less disgusted by the very nature of her own existence. Her life was planned out for her, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.   
She forced back tears as she looked back at Severus. “I know, Sev, believe me, I know. But that doesn’t mean it’s fair. That doesn’t mean it’s right.”  
His anger evaporated as quickly as it had arrived. That was the way Severus worked: a blank and empty facade interrupted by rare and sudden bursts of emotion. She always felt honored to witness them, even when they were anger. “I’m sorry, Cissy, I know you know. It’ s just…” the same bitter laugh, again, “It’s just my mother would be so fucking pissed to see me right now. See that group of pompous bastards?” he indicated Lucius and company. Narcissa nodded. “Well, I am currently meant to be attempting to join their ranks, but instead, here I am, hiding in the corner. Working.”   
Narcissa welcomed the change in subject. “What are you working on, anyway? Is that our textbook, from last year?”   
She held out her hand for it, and he gave it over. “Of course it’s our textbook from last year. I’m planning my thesis. For my Potions Mastery.”   
She opened the front cover and saw the words “Property of the Half-Blood Prince.”scrawled in Sev’s handwriting all across the cover page. She couldn’t help but laugh at this. “Still using that codename, are you? It’s almost as bad as ‘The Marauders.’”   
Sev reluctantly grinned at this. “So what? Maybe I’m just proud that said Gryffindor Buffoons haven’t figured out that it’s me yet.”   
“Trust me, James knows you’re the Half-Blood Prince.” she muttered, with conviction. She began flipping through the rest of the pages.   
“Trust me, Potter does not know that I’m the Half-Blood Prince. I think I might fear for my life if he did, Cissy, and I am not exaggerating.”   
“Honestly! You give yourself far too much credit.” they both laughed conspiratorially. At that moment, Sev’s words from a while back in the conversation finally sunk in. “Wait a second! Severus. You’ve almost finished your Potions Mastery already? It’s only been a few months.”   
Severus did not react at all to her astonishment. “So what? It was simple.”   
“Merlin, Sev, you little potions genius you! Mama Narcissa is very proud. I hope you know that. Very proud.” she placed her hands over her heart and shook her head.   
Severus did not dignify her ridiculous display with a response, other than a glance around them to make sure no one had noticed her theatrics. No one had. They had been instinctively conducting the entire conversation at a whisper.   
“Look, if you’re not going to look at that, give it back.” he said, indicating his potions book.   
Narcissa hugged it to her chest. “No. I’m looking at it.” She began to page through it. His handwriting covered every page in the first half of the book. He was clearly working through to alter every potion in it. Numbers and techniques alike were crossed out and replaced with better suggestions, with explanations in the margins. She even found some of Sev’s famous original spells scrawled throughout.   
“Merlin, how do you know your way is better than the textbook?” she asked, finally.   
“A mixture of experimentation and common sense. I can’t help it if the people who wrote the book were incompetent imbeciles.” was his answer.   
“Sure. The way you see it, the entire world is made of imbeciles and you’re the only sane one of the lot.” she replied.   
He looked smug. “It might very well be true, you know.”   
Narcissa closed the book indignantly. “I’ll have you know that I, at the very least, am not an imbecile. Everyone else… well…” they shared a smirk. For a moment they were just two very reluctant teenagers in the face of the world. But, of course, no moment can last forever.   
“Well, it’s getting late. I should probably go talk to the generalized crowd of death eater idiots. Hey, if I make friends with your future Husband, at least we’ll get to see each other sometimes.”   
Narcissa smiled sadly, “Trust me, Sev, we’ll be seeing plenty of each other either way if I have anything to say about it.”   
“See that you do have something to say about it. Don’t let the blonde catastrophe tell you what to do, Cissy.”   
“I. Would not dream of it.” she replied. “And don’t forget that you’re a genius, Sev. I really mean it. If anyone can walk into that mess and come out alive, it’s you.” she placed his book back into his lap.   
“Thank you, Narcissa.” with that he stood up, hid the book somewhere on his person, and pasted his uncaring mask back over his face. To any outsider, these parting words may have seemed melodramatic, but to them they were only natural. They had no way of knowing if the next time they saw each other would be a week later, a month later, or at Narcissa’s wedding. It all depended on the whims of their parents, and, as of two weeks from that moment, one Dark Lord. And fate, Narcissa was rapidly discovering, was an uncaring bitch.


	14. Enter: Lady Parkinson

Only ten or so minutes after Severus’s departure, Narcissa was still sitting calmly in the corner when she was approached by a very pretty woman in her early 20’s with long, shiny black hair and brown eyes. Once she realized that, yes, this woman  _ was _ coming directly toward her, Narcissa stood up and waited politely to find out why her peace was being disturbed. 

   Narcissa did not have to wait long for the woman to speak. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the future Lady Malfoy. Wonderful to meet you.” She curtsied. 

   Slave to her training, Narcissa repeated the action back to the woman before asking, “And you are?” 

   “Lady Parkinson. But you can call me Rose. Our husbands are best friends, after all.” The woman replied. 

   Narcissa was a bit confused, but she continued the conversation regardless. “He’s not my husband yet. He’s not even proposed. He’s not even courted me for a month.” she stated, fearing the rumor mill had churned out yet another catastrophe. 

   Rose just laughed, and Narcissa had to consciously prevent herself from raising an eyebrow in impolite confusion. She settled on blinking twice and staring while she tried to figure out what was going on. 

   Rose stopped laughing abruptly when she noticed Narcissa’s look of confusion. “Honey, you don’t know?” 

   Her stomach dropped as she replied, “I don’t know what? How did you know that there was something I don’t know?” 

   Rose smiled at this, “Honey, you look so confused that it’s adorable. Your face is all scrunched up.” Narcissa quickly attempted to unscrunch her face. 

   “Regardless. What don’t I know? Tell me, please?” Cissy asked. She wondered how this woman, a near stranger, could know more about her own life than she did. 

   “Of course I’m going to tell you. We’re  _ friends.” _ Narcissa was tempted to question this, but, alas, she did not. Rose glanced around for eavesdroppers before continuing, “Ok. First thing you should know: Lucius Malfoy does not court.” 

   “What?” 

   “He doesn’t court. He has affairs and he talks to women, but he does not appear in public with them, and he does not ask them on dates. He just doesn’t. You are the first woman he’s ever put effort into spending time with. That  _ has  _ to mean something.” She shared in a whisper. 

  “Well, that’s because I’m the only woman who’s not made a fool of herself over him and his money.” Narcissa muttered. 

   “ _ Exactly. _ Hun, each man likes something. Mine likes anything gorgeous and tall with dark hair.” she gestured to herself, “ _ Yours  _ likes power. And honey, you have power. Both magically and in your  _ presence. _ You emit an entire aura of power. That’s how I knew which one you were, by the way.” she winked. 

   “I wouldn’t exactly call Lucius  _ mine.” _ Narcissa stubbornly replied. 

   “Well, you had better start, because he is. Despite being exactly what one Mr. Malfoy has searched for but never been able to find, your parents are in conversation already. In fact,” she said, looking behind her across the room, “they are doing so right now.” 

   Once this sunk in, Narcissa’s eyes widened almost comically, and she surged forward and grabbed Rose’s arm to turn her around so they were standing side by side and Rose was no longer blocking her view of the rest of the room. And sure as Salazar, there her parents were across the room, talking to Lord and Lady Malfoy and holding fancy wine glasses, looking like a bunch of businessmen making a deal. 

    “Holy  _ Merlin,  _ bloody  _ Hell.”  _ Narcissa whispered, taking in the scene before her. Her grip tightened unconsciously on Rose’s arm, who glanced over at her in concern. 

    “Narcissa. Isn’t this a good thing? What’s wrong?” 

   “What’s wrong?” Narcissa repeated. “Rose, how old are you?” 

   Her new companion blinked at the abruptness of the question, but she answered regardless. “Twenty-Four. Why?” 

   “And when were you married?” She inquired, ignoring the question. 

   “A few months ago. I believe your family was there, weren’t you?” Rose answered. 

   Narcissa paused and looked at Rose a bit closer. “Oh, yes! We were. You were married at your family’s property in France, right? It was a lovely ceremony. You looked gorgeous.” Cissy knew she probably should have remembered, but she’d been to at least 20 wedding ceremonies in the time since Rose’s -- it wasn’t considered proper to skip a wedding, as doing so could be seen as an insult to the families -- and they all sort of blurred together. 

   Rose seemed happy that she remembered. “Thank you! My dress was made in Italy.” 

   “Impressive. Expensive?”

   “Very. But, Narcissa, what’s the point?” 

   “Rose, I’m sixteen.” She said, finally giving explanation to the line of conversation. 

   It was comical, watching her expressions shift from incomprehension to disbelief, through realization and finally, to indignant sympathy. 

  “But Lucius is twenty-two. He graduated from Durmstrang in the year after I finished Hogwarts, same as Cassius.” Cassius apparently being her husband, the man Narcissa had left Lucius with earlier. 

   “Yes, I know. My parents invited the Malfoys for dinner hoping he’d be interested in my sister, Andromeda, but not really expecting anything. My sister… isn’t really meant for this lifestyle. Imagine my parents’ delight when he was completely taken with me instead.” she whispered sarcastically. 

   “But… If you’re only sixteen, you shouldn’t have even been out in society yet.” Rose protested. 

   “My mother tells people I’m seventeen. No one questions it. Besides, the men have been lining up since I was fifteen. They just haven’t been rich enough for Mum’s tastes. Until now, of course.” Narcissa said. 

   “Merlin, that’s… you haven’t even finished Hogwarts yet!” Rose realized.

   “No, I haven’t. But the last year is optional anyway, and my mother would rather have me married and rich than educated and poor, so…” 

   “But you can’t get a decent job in Wizarding society without your NEWT’s.” 

   Narcissa laughed at this. “Why, dear friend, would I need a job when I have a husband?” she asked sarcastically, in imitation of her mother. 

   Rose looked stricken at this, “This is… honey, I can’t condone this. We have to tell the other girls, they’re sure to be on your side.” 

   Narcissa shook her head rapidly and grabbed Rose’s arm again to drag her back to the corner. “No. No we can’t tell anyone.” 

   “But --” Narcissa cut off Rose’s protest. 

   “But nothing. You said we’re friends, right?”

   “Of course, Narcissa, that’s why I can’t --” 

   “No. I was just complaining. I got carried away. I’m sorry. But we cannot do anything to jeopardize this marriage.” 

   “I thought you just said you didn’t  _ want _ this marriage?” 

   Narcissa closed her eyes and cursed herself for losing herself so fully into her shock. She didn’t even know this woman and she was telling her all of her secrets. Although, if she could convince Rose to help her, it might be nice to have another  _ female  _ confidante. One who knew exactly what Narcissa was getting herself into. 

   “Maybe  _ not,  _ but that doesn’t change the fact that I need this marriage.” 

   “Why?” 

   “Because, if I marry a man this rich, maybe my mother won’t put so much pressure on my sister, Andromeda, and if she doesn’t put too much pressure on her she can find a way to escape and escape  _ well.  _ And maybe my mother will even let her go without a fight. Maybe she’ll even  _ survive _ her escape attempt.” Narcissa replied, still with her eyes closed. She’d never said that to anyone before. Not even Sev, although Sev already knew. Sev knew things about her that she didn’t even know about herself. 

   “So you’re sacrificing yourself for your sister? Like a Gryffindor?” Rose asked. 

   “I am not a Gryffindor.” Narcissa sighed, “I’m just --” she finally opened her eyes, “I told you my sister wasn’t meant for this life, right?” she truly could not believe she was unloading all of her secrets onto a stranger, but now that she’d started she couldn’t make herself stop. She understood why people said sharing was therapeutic. 

   Rose nodded. “Right. So here’s the reason,” now it was Narcissa’s turn to glance around for eavesdroppers. After finding none, she took a deep breath and said, “If I tell you this, you have to promise not to tell anyone or otherwise take an unbreakable vow. But I’ll accept your word. For some reason, I trust you.” 

   “I promise that I will never tell your secrets, Narcissa. We’re friends. Besides, I need a confidante as well. When this marriage goes through, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.” Rose said, immediately. 

   “Alright. So, my sister has a lover.” 

   “...Alright? And?” 

   Narcissa leaned closer, “And he’s a mudblood.” she watched carefully for Rose’s reaction, and was not disappointed. 

   “ _ Salazar _ , that’s not going to go over well.” she whispered back with widened eyes. 

   “Especially not with my mother. Have you met her?” 

   “...Yes.” 

   Narcissa laughed derisively, mostly at herself. “Yes, you clearly have.” she agreed, “I can already see what you think of her, so I won’t even ask, yes? But anyway, that’s why Andromeda needs to escape. And even beyond that, she wasn’t meant for this lifestyle. I was.” 

   Rose caught on fast. “So, you’re going to marry Lucius so that your mother won’t go after your sister when she either finds out about the mudblood lover or your sister runs away, whichever comes first.” 

   Narcissa confirmed this with a nod. “Those are the only two eventualities I can imagine, even if Andromeda herself doesn’t quite know it yet. She’s never been gifted with planning the future. She’s… spontaneous. This life of careful planning and deception would destroy her.” 

   Rose did not contradict Narcissa’s assertions related to their way of life. They all knew it was true: each of them lived in a carefully spun web of deception. And they were definitely the poisonous kind of spiders. 

   “Merlin, that’s…  _ Merlin.” _

   Narcissa smiled at this, her new friend’s indignation on her behalf.”It’s not all  _ that  _ bad.  _ Lucius  _ isn’t that bad.” 

   Rose raised an eyebrow at this. Apparently, Narcissa shouldn’t have been worrying herself with manners earlier. “Well, he’s  _ not! _ ” Narcissa asserted. 

   “Really? Lucius is very…” Rose made a gesture that cannot be explained with words, and yet managed to convey  _ exactly _ how Narcissa felt about Lucius Malfoy. 

   “I know. But he’s growing on me -- you know, like a fungus -- and besides, I can handle him.” Narcissa smirked. She already knew that she was more than a match for Lucius. 

   Rose laughed and said, “I don’t doubt that you can. Are you sure you’re sixteen? At first I thought you must be older than  _ me.”  _

   “No. Sixteen. I can’t comprehend why everyone seems to think I’m so much older than that.”

   “It’s the aura of power, hun, I don’t take it back. It’s why Lucius likes you.” Rose said. 

   “Did he tell you that himself?” Narcissa asked, finding herself curious as to whether Lucius has been going around saying that to everyone or only Narcissa herself. 

   “No, I can just tell. I’ve known him for a long time, or at least my husband has. Why?” Rose said. 

   “Because. He’s told  _ me  _ that himself.” Narcissa replied. They both laughed. 

   “So does this mean that you won’t tell anyone?” 

   Rose seemed to consider this for a moment. Finally, and reluctantly, she said, “I won’t tell anyone. I’ll introduce you to the Death Eaters’ Wives Club and let them believe you’re twenty-six, or whatever nonsense I thought when I first saw you.” 

   “Thank you!” Narcissa said in relief. She couldn’t stop herself from attacking the other dark haired girl with a hug. 

   Rose seemed surprised, but she didn’t push Narcissa off. When she was finally released, she said, “Now I can believe you’re sixteen. Where are those carefully trained manners I saw earlier?” 

   Narcissa risked rolling her eyes, only because she was in the corner where her mother had no chance of noticing. “Shut up. We’re friends now. And don’t think you get to sound so superior just because you know I’m so young.” 

   “Of course not. Well, we should go introduce you. They’re all bound to be wondering what’s taking me so long. I’ll have to say I couldn’t find you right away.” 

   Rose started to walk away, expecting Narcissa to follow, but she grabbed her arm and halted her again. “Wait a second,  _ who  _ exactly did you say I was being introduced to again?” barely remembering something strange she’d missed earlier in the haze of her relief that she hadn’t just ruined everything by unloading her troubles on an untrustworthy stranger. 

   Rose smirked. “The Death Eaters’ Wives Club.” 

   “And just  _ what  _ in Merlin is that?” Narcissa asked, wondering if she could possibly take any more of this today. 

   “An inside joke.” Rose replied, “One you’ll be privy to soon enough if you come with me.” 

   Something about Narcissa’s expression must have convinced her that she’d need to elaborate further before Narcissa was going  _ anywhere,  _ because she continued, “It’s what all of us Ladies who don’t have the Dark Mark but are married, or are soon to be married, to men who do call ourselves. But only amongst ourselves. Our mothers would think we’d finally gone mental if they heard it.” 

   “And just who does this club consist of, then?” 

  “All of the women you’ll be spending time with while our men are in meeting at your husband’s manor -- well, this manor, actually --” she gestured to their surroundings, “to discuss strategy. Likely with the Dark Lord himself.” 

   “The Dark Lord?”

   “Yes. Lucius’s father is very high up in his ranks.” 

   “Of course. I knew that, it’s just…” 

   Rose looked sympathetic to Narcissa’s disbelief. “I know. That’s why we have to make jokes. Otherwise we really will go mental.” 

   They shared a moment of silent mutual understanding, until it was broken by Rose asking, “Well? Will you let me introduce you now?” 

   Narcissa sighed. She supposed she was doomed to be dragged away from her hiding place in the corner. At least her conversation partners were likely to be much more pleasant than Severus’s. “Of course. Let’s go.” 

   Rose began leading the way through the crowd, but they didn’t make it very far before they came face to face with Lucius Malfoy himself, who seemed to be making his way through the crowd to the other side of the room. 

   “Well, hello, Precious. We meet again.” he said with a smile the moment he recognized her. 

   “We meet quite often, don’t you think? If you remember, there’s a reason for that.” he seemed happy that she was once again playing along. “And what did I tell you about that word?” 

  “I will not give up. It’s a perfectly adequate adjective for a powerful woman such as yourself. What are you up to?” he replied. 

   “Just making friends with your best friend’s wife. As she says, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other, correct?” 

   Lucius seemed to notice Rose for the first time just then, “Ah, Lady Parkinson. Lovely to see you.” 

   “And you, Lucius.” she responded, looking far too amused for Narcissa’s liking. 

   “And what are you up to, Mr. Malfoy?” Narcissa asked, purposefully antagonistic. 

   “What did  _ I _ tell  _ you  _ about using my first name?” 

   “I don’t know, probably the same thing I told you about  _ that word.”  _

   “I see.” he replied simply, raising his eyebrows. 

   “I’ll stop when you stop, Lucius.” 

   “Seems you already have.” 

   “Ah, but I can go back whenever I want.” 

   “I suppose you can.” 

   “So? What  _ are  _ you up to?”

   He smiled at her relentless attitude. “Just making sure I’ve spoken to everyone here. It is my manor, you know.” 

   “I do know. No need to brag about it.” Narcissa replied. 

   “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” he winked, “See you later.” 

   “If I have to.” he smiled and walked away. 

   Narcissa finally turned back to Rose, who seemed nearly frozen in shocked disbelief. “Holy. Merlin.” 

   “What?” Narcissa asked, defensively. 

   “‘ _ Not so bad’  _ indeed.” Rose teased. 

   “I don’t -- what?” Narcissa said, a bit flustered by Rose’s clear amusement. 

   “You two have a connection, hun. I’ve never seen a women who could match Lucius like that. Never.” Rose answered. 

   “Regardless, he’s a little -- and if you tell anyone I said this I will strongly deny it -- intimidating, don’t you think?” Narcissa asked. 

   Rose laughed, “Of course. But so are you.” 

   “I’m not!” 

   “You are. I was almost afraid to approach you. I thought you were older than me.” 

   “I guess.” Narcissa was not exactly convinced, but she decided to let it go. 

   “Either way, I was wrong to be worried about you.” Rose became very serious for a moment, and stopped pushing through the crowd. “As long as you’re  _ sure _ this is what you want.” 

   “Yes, I’m sure.” she replied. 

   “Alright. It’s just in a woman’s nature to protect teenage girls. Even ones that don’t need protecting.” the dark haired girl said. 

   “I might need a little bit of protecting. Just not right now. But regardless, you had better introduce me to these Death Eaters’ Wives before the night is over.” 

   “Right. I left them over here I think.” Rose said, and began once again leading the way through the crowd, this time towards a rather large group of women. Well, Narcissa thought, I guess I’m destined to meet many, many people today. She also couldn’t help noticing that that night seemed to be slowly illuminating more and more of her future. Most of it, she decided, didn’t seem like it was going to be all that awful after all. That is, as long as she had friends like Rose and Sev to share her suffering with. 


	15. The Death Eaters' Wives Club

Without giving her even a single moment to compose herself, Rose led Narcissa straight into the heart of this rather large group of women, all of which immediately fell silent the moment they noticed who had just joined them. Narcissa, unwilling to speak first in the midst of an unfamiliar crowd, merely kept silent while she waited for the silence to be broken. She used the intervening time to observe her soon-to-be new acquaintances: all of them seemed to glow with wealth and beauty -- not to mention pureblood arrogance -- and not a single one of them looked to be under the age of 24. Rose, still at her side, seemed to be the youngest of the group. Maybe that was how she ended up saddled with the task of “finding the new girl.” 

   The first to make a move was a tall, dark skinned, and breathtakingly gorgeous woman with dangerous eyes, “Miss Black, I presume.” she addressed Narcissa, in a tone that didn’t seem to be even a close  _ relation  _ to a question. It was made immediately clear to Narcissa that these women all knew who she was, and yet she didn’t know any of them. She wasn’t very fond of that dynamic. 

   “Yes, and you are?” Narcissa replied, deeming that to be the only safe first response. 

   The woman smirked as if she enjoyed putting people in corners, “Miss Zabini. Previously Lady Rowle, and before that Lady Fawley. Currently after one Mr. Yaxley.” The alluring and dangerous woman met the eyes of someone far away in the crowd and smiled seductively. Narcissa risked a backwards glance and saw the recipient of Miss Zabini’s gaze to be a slightly older man entrenched in a group of death eaters. Narcissa’s only thought was that this man clearly had no idea what he was getting himself into, for his predatory smile was so thoroughly outmatched by the one adorning the face of the woman standing before her that he would be much better off running far far away. 

   And now that Narcissa thought about it, she had heard of this woman. She was 25 and had already been married twice; both of her previous husbands had died unexpectedly, leaving her with their inherited family fortunes. Not bad for a young woman from a less than notorious pureblood family. It was the general belief that she had either murdered both herself or had hired someone else to do the job, but no proof had ever been found. By the time the woman looked away from her desired prey, Narcissa got the feeling that she was currently meeting the gaze of a criminal mastermind. 

   Narcissa knew that showing fear would be suicide. Instead, she smirked and said, “Oh yes. I’ve heard of you.” 

   Miss Zabini looked pleased at this, “Oh really? How lovely. I’ve always wanted to be well known.” 

   “Yes, dear, we all know you have a complex.” Rose teased, saving Narcissa from coming up with a response, “She’s working her way slowly through the Sacred 28.” she stage whispered to Narcissa, loud enough that the entire group could hear her. 

   “Well, all of those with a son available, at least.” Zabini responded shamelessly, flipping her long, curly hair over her shoulder, “Speaking of which, Miss Black, I must congratulate you.” 

   “What do you mean?” Cissy asked, although she had a sinking feeling she knew the answer already. 

   MIss Zabini laughed, “Well, I’ve only been after a certain filthy rich and notoriously single blonde man for the year and a half since my last husband passed away. So congratulations. You’ve done what none of us could do. The accomplishment of a century!” 

   “It’s true. None of us, myself included, believed that anyone would ever make an honest man of Lucius Malfoy.” said a gloriously red haired woman. “Lady Prewett.” she introduced herself, curtsying. 

   “Lovely to make your acquaintance.” Narcissa repeated the gesture. 

   A blonde woman with judgemental green eyes snickered derisively. Narcissa turned her own piercing gaze upon her. 

   Realizing that she now had the attention of the entire group, the blonde woman smirked and said, “Look at the prissy little rich girl, curtsying to  _ us. _ Don’t congratulate her. It’s not like she did anything to deserve it. All she had to do was sit there looking like a nice, submissive, piece of prey and wait for Lucius to snap her up. A girl like that couldn’t seduce a man if she tried.” 

   Narcissa felt a familiar fire build in her veins. She’d been insulted before, but this woman had quite the nerve to act so boldly hostile in such a public place. Everyone was watching her, waiting to see how she’d respond. Rose leaned closer to whisper in her ear -- a real whisper this time, meant for only Narcissa to hear -- “That’s Lady Flint. Also known as The Jealous Type. A previous long forgotten conquest of one Mr. Malfoy.” 

   If Narcissa could have seen herself at that moment from the point of view of someone else, she would have finally realized why everyone insists on calling her “dangerous.” Malicious satisfaction filled her features and lit up her eyes. A randomly hostile woman might have been a threat, but a jealous little girl was easily dealt with. “If you knew me at all, you would not dare to call me prey. Besides, what do you know about seducing a Malfoy. Doesn’t look like it worked out very well for you in the end, does it? Lady  _ Flint _ , right? I’ve heard of the family. I’d guess you’re just bitter about being married to a third rate disgraced pureblood with an addiction to betting on quidditch.” 

   And it would not be an exaggeration to say that Lady Flint actually had the common sense to look afraid. 

   Miss Zabini looked absolutely delighted by this turn in events. She laughed aloud and said, “Salazar, Flint, she has got you there.” the blonde girl only looked more affronted. “Darling,” she turned to Narcissa, “I like you already. Welcome to the club.” 

   Narcissa felt absurdly proud of herself, even if all she’d done was knock one snobby blonde bitch down a few pegs. She was a bit disturbed, however, by how eager she was to defend her claim to Lucius Malfoy, a man who, at the start of the evening, she would have been all too eager to say she didn’t even want. A few weeks ago she would have told Lady Flint that she was welcome to have him for all she cared. What, exactly, had changed? 

   Narcissa was a bit confused as everyone looked to Rose, who just rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t look at me, ladies, I already said I’d vouch for her, before I’d even  _ met  _ her. You think I’d rescind it now? Honestly. Besides. Cissy’s my friend.” Rose gave her a friendly side hug, to complement her words. 

   Narcissa was pleased if not still a little bit confused. She wasn’t quite sure what was happening. 

   “Damn, that was fast.” said a woman with dirty blonde hair who appeared to be in her early-30’s as she stepped forward. “Any objections? Besides you, Flint, put your hand down.” 

   “That’s Lady Selwyn. She’s the unofficial president.” Whispered Rose. 

   “Merlin, this is a real club?” whispered Narcissa in response. 

   “Sort of. I didn’t want to intimidate you, so I didn’t tell you you were being evaluated. Guess it doesn’t matter, because you did fine!” Rose responded. 

   Well, thought Narcissa, it’s not everyday that you pass a test you didn’t even know you were taking. 

   No one else made any objections. “Well then, Narcissa Black, soon to be Narcissa Malfoy, is unofficially inducted into the Death Eaters’ Wives Club.” 

   There was no cheering, due to the atmosphere of the event, but no one looked too put out, except, of course, Lady Flint, who was still seething about the injury to her pride. 

   “I, for one, am glad we finally got a Black sister to join.” interjected a beautiful and young-looking brown haired woman that Narcissa actually recognized as Lady Nott, previously Miss Brown. Hers was one of the weddings that the Blacks had attended recently. She was married to a much older death eater, one of the Dark Lord’s most loyal servants, and it didn’t seem like the marriage was her choice. 

   Narcissa, sensing a kindred spirit of sorts, responded warmly, “Finally?” 

   “We tried inviting Bellatrix, but she just sneered at us. Said she’d rather take the dark mark and go rid our world of the mudbloods for herself.” Lady Nott shuddered. 

    “No offence to your family, darling, but that woman is something else.” Miss Zabini added, “I, of all people, respect a woman of ambition, but in the world we live in we are much better off keeping our ambitions clandestine, if you know what I mean.” 

   Scarily, Narcissa was pretty sure she  _ did  _ know what she meant. 

   “I have to ask, what’s it like living with her?” asked Lady Prewett. 

   “I have to admit, Bella is quite the fanatic.” Narcissa answered “But, apparently, the Lestrange brothers are as well, and Rodolphus clearly likes that in a woman, so the marriage works out alright. I’m not surprised she turned you down, quite honestly. She’s quite proud that she’ll be receiving the mark in a few weeks.” coincidentally, her marking would be on the same full moon as Severus’s. 

    “So what I’m hearing, is that Zabini should stay away from Rabastan Lestrange, because his crazy is not worth his gold. Correct?” Rose asked. 

   “Correct.” Narcissa confirmed, “Although…” she glanced around theatrically for eavesdroppers, as if they didn’t all know about Miss Zabini’s string of murders, “I wouldn’t much mind if you got rid of him for us. As an in-law, he is not very pleasant to be around.” 

   The women all laughed at this. “Perhaps I’ll work on it after I’m done with Yaxley. Although, I might keep Yaxley for a while. He’s very pretty, especially since Malfoy is off the market now.” Miss Zabini joked. 

   “Would you like to hear my opinion?” asked a new women, again with blonde hair, but this one had blue eyes. 

    “Always, Lady Fleamont.” answered Zabini. 

   “I personally believe that the most gorgeous of the eligible blonde Death Eaters is Mr. Travers. Much less pale than Mr. Malfoy.” she winked at Narcissa to let her know she was only kidding. 

   Narcissa wasn’t quite sure why, but something possessed her to play along. “Hm. Travers might be less pale, but my man is a much better dancer. Besides, just look at him. What’s more pureblood than that?” she asked playfully. 

   “Ah, but you ladies are all assuming that blondes are better. Aside from my own man, of course, the most aesthetically pleasing of the dark haired ones is definitely one Lord Avery.” Rose declared. 

   “Excuse me, but my man is off the market! And so are you, Lady Parkinson.” added a woman with curly strawberry blonde hair who was apparently Lady Avery.

   The conversation was interrupted by the sound of another woman clearing her throat. They all turned to see Lady Selwyn gazing at them with disapproval. “Honestly, ladies, do we have nothing else to talk about besides  _ men? _ ” she demanded. 

   “It’s my fault, Madam.” defended Miss Zabini. “I, for one, am always talking about men. This means that anyone forced into conversation with me must  _ also _ be talking about men. It’s a problem.” 

   “Not for your gringotts account.” muttered Lady Flint, but Zabini ignored her. 

   “Besides, Lady Selwyn, we have appearances to keep up at this lovely society gathering that Mr. Malfoy has been nice enough to throw for us.” Rose said in a falsely pleasant voice that had us all snickering. 

   Lady Avery snorted at this -- apparently manners were going out the window the further into the night they progressed -- “Honestly. We all know that Lucius only convinced his parents to hold this gathering so that he could invite a certain Miss Black to attend.” 

   To Narcissa, this was new information. “What? That absolutely cannot be true.” 

   “You’d better believe it, because it is very true.” Rose argued. “I told you, Lucius doesn’t usually do this. He’s going all out. I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up proposed to before the night is out.”

   The idea filled Narcissa with dread, resignation, and something that she might have called excitement if she didn’t know better. “That is absolutely not possible.” 

   “It might be, and it might not be.” said Lady Nott, looking sympathetic. “The only thing for it is to wait and see.”

    “In the meantime, who would like to continue to talk about men?” asked Miss Zabini, returning to the one topic that was always on the top of her mind. 

   There were many declarations of assent and agreement. Lady Selwyn glared at the gathered women, but she didn’t make a move to exit the conversation either. And it may have been shallow, and Narcissa may not have considered a single one of these women a true friend -- other than Rose, of course, -- but Narcissa was glad, regardless of the circumstances, to have a group of women to talk to about unimportant things, and a place where she felt as if she belonged. At least she wouldn’t have to spend the remainder of the night alone, waiting for Lucius. 


	16. Lucius and Narcissa, As Seen From The POV Of Another

 Narcissa did indeed spend the remaining hours of the night talking with the other ladies and waiting anxiously for Lucius to offer anything from an ambush to a marriage proposal, but neither were forthcoming. Miss Zabini, for one, seemed very disappointed that the proposal hadn’t taken place. 

   “I told you so.” was Cissy’s only comment as the guests started drifting toward the exits, after the unspoken decision was reached that the gathering was coming to a close. 

   She didn’t think that her comment had been tinted with even the barest hint of self pity, but the other ladies seemed sympathetic nonetheless. “Don’t worry, sweets, I’m sure it won’t be long until you can call yourself Lady Malfoy.” was Zabini’s opinion on the manner. Eventually the group drifted apart, each woman leaving to find their husbands or their families and drag them out of the manor if need be, until Rose and Narcissa were left by themselves. 

   The moment they were alone, Rose turned to Narcissa and said, “Well, hun, that was an impressive showing. And to think, I thought I had to be worried about you! Maybe I should be worried about  _ Lucius _ instead…” 

   Narcissa hit her companion playfully on the arm. “Shut it, you. I can handle myself amongst a crowd of arrogant pureblood ladies. I’ve been doing so since I was much younger than I am now.” 

   They began wandering together over to the side of the room where Lucius and Cassius were still deep in conversation. 

   “ _ That  _ I didn’t doubt. But these are no ordinary pureblood ladies.” Rose countered. 

   This made Narcissa laugh, “I’ve been dealing with murderous and dangerous women for just as long: just look at my family.” 

   Rose surreptitiously glanced over to where Lord and Lady Black were standing with the Malfoys, as well as Bellatrix and Rodolphus. After observing the women that Narcissa had grown up with, Rose’s only response was, “I see your point.” 

   At this moment, their conversation was interrupted by Cassius’s exclamation of, “Rose. Darling. You’ve brought Narcissa back to us in one piece! How lovely.” 

   Lucius gave him a dirty look, which surprised Narcissa. She’d only ever seen Lucius act entirely contained and proper. That was when she realized that she didn’t really know the man at all. 

   However, all she said was, “I don’t remember giving you permission to address me by my first name, Lord Parkinson.” 

    The man in question raised his eyebrows. “Well. Lucius wasn’t exaggerating.” 

    “About what, pray tell?” Narcissa asked, with a glance at Lucius, who remained indifferent.

   “You really are ‘Quite Difficult’.” Cassius answered. 

   “ _ Cass!” _ Rose exclaimed, protective of her new friend, but said difficult woman wasn’t paying any attention to them. 

    “Difficult, am I Lucius?” she asked, advancing on her date. 

   He had the sense to back up a few steps, before replying, “You have to understand, Precious, that I meant it as a compliment.”

   “A  _ compliment?” _ she asked, in a dangerously calm tone of voice. 

   If Lucius realized he was in trouble, he didn’t show it. “It was! You’re difficult to understand. Which makes you interesting. And mysterious. You know,  _ difficult _ .” 

   “Of course. Sure. Also:  _ what have I told you about that adjective.” _ Cissy continued, not quite certain why, in the case that she was, in fact, angry, she and Lucius were now standing so close together. 

   “You do know, Love, that we go over this every single time we have a conversation. I’ve already told you, I’m not giving it up.” Lucius replied, and Narcissa had to admit that “Love” was at least a little better than “Precious.” 

   Neither noticed, in the course of their argument, that Cassius and Rose were still watching intently. “I see what you mean, darling.” Cassius commented. 

   Rose gave him a secretly fond glance, “Did you cause this on purpose, Cass?” 

   “Of course I did. What did you expect me to do?” He replied, “Just take your word on it?”

   “Never, Love, never.” was all Rose said in response. 

   “You were right, though. So right. The connection is undeniable.” continued Cassius. 

   “ _ Isn’t  _ it? By Merlin, look at them argue like they’ve been married for decades.” Rose said. 

   “And just look at that. Who wouldn’t call that physical attraction?” Cassius commented, indicating Lucius and Narcissa’s now very close proximity to each other, heads tilted as if about to kiss. The best part: neither seemed to notice it. 

   “It’s absolutely magnificent.” Rose answered, and her husband only nodded, glad that his oldest friend had finally found a woman strong enough to stand up to him, and powerful enough to capture his interest. 

   And then the argument was broken up by the arrival of Lord and Lady Black, accompanied by Lord and Lady Malfoy. 

   Narcissa stepped back quite quickly at the sound of her mother’s “Narcissa darling.” 

   “Yes, mother?” she asked, trying to compose herself. She wasn’t quite sure what had happened, but she was almost glad the interruption had arrived when it did. She didn’t know what was happening between her and Lucius, but whatever it was, it was terrifying. It was like something took over her brain whenever she was in his presence. 

   When she turned to see her mother’s face, she was not surprised to note that she looked pleased. From her point of view, everything was falling into place exactly as it was supposed to. 

   “Since it’s gotten so late, and we still have more things we need to discuss, Lady Malfoy has been nice enough to extend us an invitation to stay in the guest wing this evening. I’m going to need you to call a house elf and have them bring everything you need from our home.” Her mother said, and Narcissa was not ignorant as to what her mother hoped would happen that night. Narcissa, however, was not worried: she knew that Lucius was going to propose to her no matter what she did, aside from outright insult. She just needed to find a way to keep her mother happy and avoid the situation for as long as possible. 

   “Of course, mother. I’d like to see my accommodations first, to ascertain what exactly I’ll need to have retrieved.” she addressed the last part to Lady Malfoy. 

   “I’m sure my son would be more than happy to show you the way.” was all the older blonde woman said in reply. Narcissa had definitely seen that one coming. At least she could finally leave the ballroom. Society Gatherings really were not her idea of a good time. 

   “Alright, Lucius, let’s go.” she said, absentmindedly grabbing his hand and dragging him away as quickly as possible. 

   “You realize you’re taking the long way.” he replied, drily amused. 

   “Whatever. These manors always circle around anyway. Besides, I could use an extended tour of my future home.” she replied, cheekily, and entirely unashamed. 

   Neither of them noticed Cassius and Rose exchanging one more meaningful glance. 

   “Confident, aren’t you?” Lucius asked, playfully. 

   Narcissa stopped immediately, and whirled around to look him directly in the eyes. “Very. And for good reason, wouldn’t you say? Or would you just say I’m being  _ difficult  _ again?” she asked, biting her lip to keep from smiling and barely resisting the urge to wink. 

   Holy Merlin, she thought, what has come over me? 

   Slightly disturbed by her own behavior, she turned back around and continued dragging a momentarily stunned Lucius down the first hallway she came across. After a second, he merely shook his head in fond resignation for this woman before him, the first who would ever have dared to say something like that to him, and one who did so without fear or hesitation, at that, and hurried his steps so that he was leading the way, before she got them completely and hopelessly lost in the manor. 

   She conceded to him the ability to lead them, admitting to herself that she had absolutely no idea where she was going, and tried to absorb her surroundings in an attempt to keep from wondering at the man who seemed to find her standoffishness, of all things, to be the most endearing aspect of her personality. And maybe she was just getting used to it, or maybe it was another concession of sorts that, when he said, “This way, Precious.” and led her down another hallway, she didn’t even bother to correct him. And she might’ve even smiled. 


	17. The Guest Wing

Finally, they passed through large, mahogany doors into a sort of living room. She was surprised to find that it looked quite a bit similar to her own home. She looked around curiously, her interest peaked despite herself, while Lucius just watched her smugly. “Alright, how is this possible?” She knew for a fact that, unless they’d snuck into her home in the middle of the night, none of the Malfoys had seen the living room, or anything past the formal dining room. Therefore, it was impossible that they had been able to copy her family’s decor, especially on such short notice.

   Lucius looked happy to know something she didn’t. She didn’t think he was going to tell her at all… that is, until she raised her eyebrow in silent demand for knowledge and he couldn’t resist any longer. “This is the Guest Wing. A spell was placed upon the rooms when the Manor was first built: every time new guests are brought in, the furniture, the walls, and the decorations all change to make them feel as comfortable as possible. We want our guests to feel like they are in a home away from home.” he smirked. 

   “Sounds incredibly useful for convincing your rivals to let down their guards, here in a place where they feel so… comfortable.” she replied. Since she was still scanning the room trying to see through the glamours, she missed Lucius’s genuine smile at her instantaneous understanding. 

    “There is that as well.” was all he said in reply. Narcissa gave him a sidelong glance for his trouble. 

   After allowing her a moment to make sure the paintings on the wall were not flat, two-dimensional illusions and the throw pillows and lamps could be moved from place to place, Lucius said to Narcissa, “Should I show you to your own room?” 

   Startled from her close observation of the very real tiled flooring, Narcissa stood back up shamelessly and said, “Very well.” and gestured for him to lead on. 

   As they walked through a Dining Area and a lovely Drawing Room with a real fireplace, she stated, “I must laud your ancestors on their spellwork. I cannot find a single flaw in the glamours.” 

   “That’s because they’re not glamours.” Lucius said, rather eagerly, as if he was merely waiting to impart this particular bit of information. 

   “But that’s impossible! You expect me to believe that all of this is real?” she asked incredulously, sweeping an arm out gracefully to indicate their surroundings. 

   “I’m not entirely sure if it’s real, in the exact sense of the word, but I do know that it comes directly from your mind. Everything here is your own doing, not ours.” he explained. 

   “You mean you don’t see the same things I see?” Narcissa was only growing more confused as she heard the explanation. 

   “No, I can see everything that you do.” Lucius stated evenly. 

   “Then…?” 

   “It’s magic, my darling. I’ve learned not to question the little miracles that this Manor can perform.” 

  Narcissa gave it a moment of thought. “You know, you sound like you’re trying rather hard to be sexy and mysterious.” was her only comment in response. 

   “Is it working?” he asked, sounding calm, confident, and entirely unashamed. 

   “Probably. But not on me. I see right through it.” she answered, just as calm, but not quite as certain. 

   Lucius stopped quite suddenly. Narcissa had walked a few steps further before she even noticed. Once she did she turned to meet his gaze, and found his eyes far more vulnerable than she’d ever seen them. “And what do you see beneath?” 

   She stopped to consider. Just a week ago she would have said she saw an arrogant and spoiled little boy. Now, astonishingly enough, she wasn’t quite as sure. “Quite honestly, I don’t know.” 

   He didn’t look the least bit reassured by her words. For some reason, this made her smile. 

   “It’s blurry. But I’ll let you know when the image clears.” she finished. 

   She could see his walls reform just as slowly as his smirk. “I don’t doubt that you will, Precious.” 

   After a moment of wondering why exactly that smirk didn’t intimidate her like it used to, she rolled her eyes and moved to regain her position next to him. As she took his arm she said, “Lead on, you overpaid tour guide.” 

   “I’ll have you know, I’m not being paid anything for this.” he commented idly. 

   “Oh? Well then, I--” she broke off suddenly as they stopped in front of another door. What made her stop, however, was not the door itself: it was the sight of the words “Narcissa Black” painted in black ink on the door, in her own curly handwriting. 

   “How?” she asked, once she’d taken it in. 

   “I told you, it reads your mind. These rooms know all your secrets. Hope you don’t have much to hide.” 

   “Trust me, Lucius. If I had something to hide, even this Manor of yours wouldn’t be able to drag it out of my head.” with that statement up in the air, she unceremoniously shoved open the door and stepped inside. She stopped dead once again, however, when she saw the inside of the room. It was nothing like she thought it would be. In fact, it wasn’t much of anything at all. The walls, floor, bed, and other furnishings were all white. As were the linens. There were no other decorations in sight. 

   “Alright, my mind cannot possibly be this boring.”  

   Lucius chuckled and moved up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “It’s not. You just have to finish the room yourself.” she was very skeptical as he moved to sit down on the bed. He proceeded to pat the space next to him. “Join me.” 

   Instead of joining anybody anywhere, Narcissa just crossed her arms and gave him a look entirely devoid of amusement. “That was the worst line I’ve ever heard.” 

   To his credit, Lucius only looked confused for a moment before laughing. “It’s not a line, a trick, or even a ploy. Don’t you trust me?” 

   Her only thought as she moved forward reluctantly to sit beside him was,  _ With that face? Not likely. _

__ Once she was beside him, he laid back and tugged on her arm until she laid down as well. “Close your eyes,” he said, “and imagine the room exactly as you’d like it. Don’t try to change your gut instincts. It won’t work.” 

   She was still skeptical, but she did as he asked. Little did she know that as the walls and the bedsheets beneath them turned dark purple and the floor turned to black tile, as the shelves filled with knick knacks and the wooden furniture turned dark brown, as lamps appeared on bedside tables and paintings appeared on walls, Lucius was not watching the miraculous transformations. Instead he was entirely transfixed by her expression of deep concentration, and the way her eyebrows scrunched together, as if she could feel the magic pulling from her very thoughts. 

   Once the room was entirely finished and the last black crystal formed on the elegant chandelier above their heads, Lucius whispered, “Open your eyes, Precious.” 

   So she did, and what met her eyes was an exact copy of the room she had been imagining in her mind. As she absorbed her surroundings in wide eyed wonder, Lucius watched her with an expression akin to hers. When she finally turned back to him and took note of the emotion filling his eyes, the admiration that he’d always been so adept at hiding from her, but he’d been unable to veil here alone with her in a room created entirely from her own mind, she froze. But not in fear.

   She froze from some foreign emotion filling her chest that she was entirely unable to identify. Whatever it was, she was entirely unable to stop it as he leaned forward to kiss her, finally. And it felt quite a bit like coming home. As strange as it was, it seemed fitting that this version of home that the manor had created for her, this space built out of her own thoughts and desires, wouldn’t seem quite right without him beside her, skin to skin, but, more importantly, soul to soul. 


	18. The Room of Truth

Narcissa sighed and rolled over. After casting a  _ Tempus  _ spell, she ascertained that it was precisely… 2:18 in the morning. Lovely. She found it strange: she spent all that time trying to push Lucius away, but now that she’d finally given in, she really, really wanted him by her side. It’s like a drug: it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve said “No.” It only takes one “Yes” to get addicted. And then you’re in for life. Or maybe she was just being dramatic. But she really didn’t think so. 

   Because, it had only been a few hours since he’d left her bed, but she already found herself missing those piercing gray eyes of his. She remembered that the intensity of his gaze used to scare her, make her feel hunted and weak, but that was back before she remembered that she was not prey. She was a strong woman, and she didn’t need anyone to protect her. Back before she knew that, radically enough, Lucius liked her  _ because _ of that fact -- not in spite of it. She had thought he wanted to turn her blazing inferno into a camp fire. Turns out all he wanted was to become the oxygen that fed her flame. A partner. In love, in life, in crime. An equal. And for some, inexplicable reason, she believed him. 

   Suddenly, Narcissa felt like the four walls around her were closing in, cutting off her supply of air and keeping her trapped in her mind. Without sparing a single moment for rational thought, she made her way out of her room and, subsequently, out of the guest wing. It might seem ridiculous, given that she’d never been there before, but she knew exactly where she was going. 

   She made her way down twisting hallways and flights of stairs until she found herself looking into the open doorway of an inviting sitting room. After only a second’s hesitation, Narcissa made her way inside. Her first impression was that, in the heart of a mansion filled with priceless artifacts and pure white carpets, she had finally found a room that looked as if someone had  _ lived  _ in it. Despite the abundance of worn -- but certainly not cheap -- sofas and chairs, Narcissa felt drawn instead to sit directly in front of the -- very real -- fireplace, on a pillow she’d snatched from a sofa as she walked past. As she felt the rug beneath her fingertips, she marveled at the quality. Clearly imported. And yet, someone had left their coat on a chair and their shoes in the corner. Also, there were pillows and blankets thrown haphazardly over the furniture, and there was a trunk left open under an end table. This was clearly a place that the Malfoys actually used, and yet, oddly enough, Narcissa did not once feel like she was invading their privacy. Something about the night was surreal. 

   Several hours later found her still staring into the fire and wondering just what she thought she was doing. It wasn’t an anxious line of thought, however. It was merely a ponderance on the strange turn her life had taken. A strange turn that she had quite thoroughly accepted. 

   She may have been very deep in thought, but she still heard the footsteps coming up behind her. Despite the fact that it still wasn’t anywhere near morning, the approaching person did not seem at all hostile to her presence, so, at first, she did nothing but continue to watch the flames flicker mesmerizingly in their random, chaotic, patterns in the fireplace. That is, until this person -- whose identity she was entirely certain of -- began to speak. 

   “If I had needed any more proof that this was meant to be, I believe that this here would have sufficed.” said Lucius from directly behind her. 

   Without turning away from the fire, she asked, “What do you mean?” 

   “You’ve made it past four wards, one of which detecting your status as a member of the Malfoy clan, to get to your current location.” he answered, without a hint of deception or pretense. 

   “Really?” she asked, finally turning to look at him, “I certainly didn’t try. I just… came here. What does that mean?” she was not intimidated by that bit of information. Merely curious. Nothing was intimidating in that room at that time of night. 

   “May I sit?” he asked, deflecting her question.

   “Of course.” she answered. He joined her on the rug. They sat close enough that their shoulders leaned together, which she found oddly comforting.  

   They sat in silence for a moment, until Lucius glanced over at her and found her still watching him, clearly waiting for an answer. He sighed and said, with a small grin,  “It means the manor likes you. I think it’s trying to play matchmaker.” 

   She raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself, “So the manor is sentient? Like Hogwarts?” 

   “These are ancient family secrets that you ask for, you know this?” he replied, fondly exasperated. 

   Now both her eyebrows were raised in silent judgement. He sighed again. “Fair enough.” he continued, “Yes, the manor is quite a bit like your Hogwarts. It was built in the same era. But neither are truly “sentient” as in, neither are truly alive and conscious. Both, however, have a… personality. They have magic meant to protect and serve their inhabitants. They do unpredictable things… like changing the wards to admit you without any of us having to cast the spells.” 

   Narcissa found it quite flattering that the building liked her. She said as much, “So this building also believes that I would make a lovely Lady Malfoy. You’re friends wives very much agree with it. I think maybe the mansion has been listening in on our conversations.” 

   Lucius gave a small laugh at this. “It very well may have been. I don’t know if it can hear us or not.” 

   She smiled in silent reminiscence. “It always did seem like Hogwarts could hear us. Like we were all living inside of some great creature that was sworn to protect us.” 

   Lucius smiled wistfully as he replied, “I would have much rather gone there as well. Durmstrang is… dark. Dark and cold and lonely. Besides,” he did not meet her eyes as he said this last part, “If I’d gone to Hogwarts I’d have met you much earlier. Maybe we’d have fallen in love like normal people.” 

   Narcissa found this a romantic sentiment, but also largely implausible. “Not likely, unfortunately. Not because of you or me, but because of the age difference.” 

   Lucius looked at her in a perplexed sort of manner. “Age difference? Obviously I knew there was one, but it’s not  _ that  _ large, is it?” 

   Narcissa looked at him strangely, but it was clear that he really  _ was _ ignorant on the matter. Well damn. There goes her preconception of the entire situation, shattered to pieces. She was having trouble reconciling the idea that Lucius did not know how young she was with, well, she was right the first time: the  _ entire situation. _

   Finally truly comprehending the man’s lack of information, she sighed. She was getting very tired of explaining this to people. “Lucius, I’m sixteen years old.” 

   The only thing that Lucius Malfoy, master linguist, could think to say to this was, “What?”

   Narcissa couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “Yes, I am sixteen. No, I don’t think it changes anything. Yes, I think it’s perfectly legal: I’m certain my mother has checked with the Ministry. Also, no need to look so surprised.” 

   Narcissa, wary that Lucius might be going into literal shock, grabbed his hand and nudged his shoulder a bit in an attempt to snap him out of it. “Are you alright?” she asked, warily amused. 

_ “Merlin,  _ you must think I’m a sexual predator!” was what he said, once he finally found it within him to reply. 

   Narcissa somehow found this even funnier than she did before. “No, Lucius, I don’t. Really. Salazar, you look like you think I’m insane!” the entire conversation was surreal. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought she dreamt it all. She was still laughing, and now she couldn’t help but hug him. The poor thing looked like he needed it. 

   “But… you seemed so much  _ older.  _ I must have seemed like a complete creepy  _ arsehole.” _ was what he came up with next. 

   Narcissa laughed even harder, the stress of the last few weeks, finally catching up to her. Something about the atmosphere was making her feel like she could really be herself. Finally, she settled down and turned so she could lean back against him. “Get over it Lucius. I fully expect you to keep calling me “Precious” now that I’ve finally gotten used to it. And don’t you dare stop the bantering. You’re the only man I’ve ever met who didn’t treat me like a delicate flower.” 

   He still seemed a bit thrown when he replied, “Alright then. I suppose I won’t. Precious.” 

   She found herself feeling like laughing again. It occurred to her to inquire about it. “What is it about this room anyway? It feels very…” she didn’t know how exactly she planned to end that sentence. She couldn’t think of a sufficient adjective, even as she scanned the room again, taking in the soft firelight and the worn furniture and the bright, happy carpet. 

   She could see Lucius smirking, even though she wasn’t looking at him. “It does, doesn’t it? We call it the Room of Truth.” 

   “The Room of Truth?” she asked, with a small amount of alarm. 

   “Don’t worry, it’s not a truth spell. It’s not like veritaserum.” he said quickly, assuaging her fears of something similar to the popular truth serum. 

   “Well what is it then?” she asked, leaning her head back in an ill-fated attempt to look at him. 

   “I’m getting to that.” he said, glancing over at her, and then back to the fire.

   “Well then  _ get  _ to it.” 

   “I am. It’s not a truth spell. It doesn’t force out anything you don’t particularly want to say. All it does is… allow the truth to come out on it’s own, entirely of the volition of those involved. It was created by my great grandfather. He always said that, despite the false airs and pretenses we must keep up in public, due to our status as aristocracy, we should not have any pretenses with each other. The Malfoys, I mean. So if I sound very different from the man you danced with at the gathering, then that’s why.” 

   “Not  _ very  _ different.” she reassured. “Just more… real.” 

   They took a moment to mull this over, lost in their own thoughts. 

   Lucius was the one to break the silence. “Narcissa?” 

   “Yes, Lucius?” 

   “Since we’re here, in this Room of Truth, I thought I’d ask you a question.” 

   “What is it?” she asked, hearing the serious tone and turning to face him once again. 

   “Why are you here? And I don’t just mean in this room. I mean… I want the truth. The whole story. Preferably from the beginning.” 

   When she looked into his eyes, she saw nothing but earnest vulnerability. Not a single hint of manipulation or malice. So she told him. 

   “At first, it was only because of my sister. Andromeda.” she began. 

   “Your sister?” 

   Narcissa hesitated for a moment. “It’s a secret. A huge one. But I won’t make you take an unbreakable vow. I just won’t tell you all the particulars.” 

    Lucius seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, so she continued. “You see, she’s in love. With an… unsuitable man.” A single glance confirmed her suspicions that he knew what she meant. But since she hadn’t said it, and she hadn’t said who, her sister was safe. 

   “She’s really in love. The type of love that lasts forever. The type of love that finds you. And, not only that, but she’s truly not suited for this lifestyle. You know, the power games and the manipulation. The one we excel at.” They exchanged a certain glance, “and I knew that this life would kill her. It would ruin her. She’s too… pure. She’s always trying to protect me, and, for once, I decided that it was my turn to protect her. I decided that I would get married. To someone my mother approves of, because, if I do everything right, my mother might be more forgiving after my sister -- inevitably -- does everything wrong. She might let her leave alive. And maybe I resented her freedom, just a bit. 

   “But to me, it was a worthy sacrifice. At first, it was my life for my sisters. I would let my mother sell me off to the highest bidder, and help Andromeda run away. I would give up finishing my education, and I’d give up the chance to run my own life. That was the plan, at least.” She looked up finally, to see that Lucius looked younger than she’d ever seen him. And he was listening intently, as if something in her tone had given him some small amount of hope. And he was right. Because she wasn’t finished yet. 

   “But you, Lucius Malfoy, are not the man I first thought you were. If nothing else, the fact that you didn’t know how young I am proves it” and the way he’s looking at her right now, but she’s not going to say that. 

   “And -- shockingly enough -- I like you. And I know you don’t plan to keep me in a cage. I have no proof, but I can see it clearly enough without. So maybe it’s not all about sacrifice and power. Maybe it’s about something else. So, that’s why I’m here, Lucius. That’s the whole story.” Narcissa realized that she was tearing up, and wiped the moisture from under her eyes. 

    When she finally met Lucius’s gaze, it was so very intense, so very filled with emotions that she had to kiss him. There was just no way around it. 

   When the finally broke apart, Lucius said. “Three things. First, you  _ will  _ finish your education.” 

   “But --” Narcissa began, but he cut her off. 

   “It’s what you want, right?” she nodded, “Then you will go back to Hogwarts next year. Married or not. I will intimidate, bribe, or otherwise threaten anyone I have to.” And she believed him, at that. There’s the fire that was missing from his eyes. 

   “Second,” he continued, “I will never keep you in a cage, Narcissa Black. I said I was looking for a partner, an equal, and I meant it.” 

   He took a deep breath and said, “Third, I have a follow up question.” 

   She had a feeling she knew what it was going to be. He took her silence for consent to be asked.  He cast a summoning charm, and something flew over from the coat -- which turned out to be his -- and into the palm of his hand. 

   He turned to her and said, “I know this is very informal, and we’ll have to do it again in front of an audience in the near future -- that is, if this goes the way I hope it does -- but, Narcissa Black, will you marry me?” He presented her with the single most elaborate engagement ring she’d ever seen in her life. 

   She looked into his eyes, and didn’t feel the least bit forced to answer, “Yes.” And so she held out her hand eagerly to receive the ring, because she most definitely could not resist trying on a diamond of that size. It was charmed to automatically change size to fit her finger exactly. Once it was there, she couldn’t help staring at it. 

   She said, “It’s beautiful.” 

   And it may have been absolutely cliche, and he may have very well known this, but, regardless, he said, “And so are you.” 

   When Narcissa made her way back to her room later that night -- or morning, based entirely upon your perspective -- she was not in the least bit surprised to see that the name on her door had changed to “Narcissa Malfoy.” Something about it seemed like it was meant to be. 


	19. A Mother's Pride

When Narcissa was awoken several hours later to the sound of incessant knocking on her door, she knew that explanations were going to need to be made. And that very moment was the moment in which this was to happen. 

   She opened the door and sure enough, just as she had expected -- “Yes, Mother?” 

   Her mother looked at her as if this was a rude statement, although Narcissa was altogether certain that it wasn’t. “Narcissa Black, I am going to need some explanations. First of all, it is half past ten in the morning. You should be dressed! Secondly, what is the meaning of this?” The aristocratic gesture that punctuated this statement seemed to indicate that “this” meant the altered state of the name on her door. 

   Narcissa decided it was best to get it over with. “The explanation for both is, in fact, the same. I was proposed to very early this morning by one Lucius Malfoy.” Realizing that she was still wearing the ring, she held out her left hand for her mother to examine. 

   Her mother took her hand and stared at the glittering diamond as if she couldn’t quite comprehend its existence. 

   In an attempt to fill the continuing silence, Narcissa said, “I think the ring is very lovely, don’t you?” She couldn’t get a read on her mother’s emotions. Not that she ever really could until she spoke. 

   “Narcissa, my child, this is… astonishing!” said Lady Black. Narcissa was warily surprised. Of all the reactions she had prepared for, pride wasn’t one of them. 

   “Mother?” she asked. 

   Finally, Lady Black met her daughter’s eyes, and it seemed that  _ this _ was what Narcissa had needed to do all along to break through cold indifference to some sliver of true emotion. Not that she was entirely certain how she’d accomplished it. 

   “Child, I’m…,” she shook her head, “Entirely overwhelmed! Your father and I had finally convinced Lord and Lady Malfoy to start pressuring their son to propose last night at the gathering, but now I see that our efforts have been entirely unnecessary. You’ve already convinced him on your own. To think, Lucius Malfoy, notorious bachelor, has proposed to you entirely of his own free will... “ Narcissa was astonished when her mother placed her hands on her shoulders. Her mother had never been one for physical contact, “I have never been more proud to call you my daughter. We simply  _ must _ tell your father!” 

   As her mother turned and began walking down the hall, Narcissa trailing after her, the strange mood was finally broken. And Narcissa was strangely glad that it was. Her mother had certainly never been  proud of her before, and she couldn’t help but feel… dissatisfied by the entire experience. She couldn’t help but resent the idea that her mother was proud of her for something that she didn’t even do. Her mother was proud of this vision she had in her head of a daughter that had cleverly seduced a reluctant bachelor, all for the good of her family name and her own social standing. She knew that her mother would not be proud of the truth: Narcissa was the one who had been seduced -- by a man drawn to her for reasons entirely above her own understanding -- and her pursuit of the matter in the first place had been entirely to protect her sister -- the blood traitor -- from her mother’s wrath. She couldn’t care less about the name she had procured for herself, except for One. Single. Reason: it was Lucius’s name. And there was something very terrifying in that admission to herself. 

   And so, as she followed her mother, explained to her father, smirked in all the right places, bragged about her ring, and charmed it so that no one except those that knew about it could see it until the Official Proposal, all she could think about was whether she would get to see Lucius one more time before they left, and if not, when she would have the opportunity to see him again.


	20. The Worst Possible Thing

Narcissa knew something was off the moment she entered her home. The air was too still and too cold. None of the lights were on and the windows were all closed. But most importantly, Andromeda wasn’t there to greet her at the door. 

   Narcissa had spent the last few minutes trying to figure out how the hell she was going to explain the events of that past evening to her sister and contemplating whether ‘Dromeda would think she had gone mad -- and perhaps whether she  _ had _ gone mad -- but when she walked into the house Andromeda was nowhere in sight. 

   At first, Narcissa merely gave a mental shrug and made her way upstairs, thinking that Andromeda must be in her room and hadn’t heard the door open. Or the crack of their apparation onto the front porch. She knew that it was fairly unlikely, but she didn’t exactly want to consider other possibilities. Possibilities involving danger or Death Eaters or Ted Tonks. Possibilities where every effort she had ever made to protect her sister was for naught. 

   But Andromeda’s door was open. The bed was made. Her wand was gone, and the room was strangely undisturbed. It may have been her penchant for worst case-scenarios, but it looked to Narcissa like the room of someone who had gone missing. Or had been dead for months. 

   Foreboding dread already settling in her stomach, Narcissa checked her own room, Bella’s old room -- which she still slept in whenever she was over -- and both bathrooms. Andromeda was nowhere to be found. 

   Narcissa went back to her own room, her head spinning. Andromeda was very well aware that the conditions of her staying behind from the gatherings included that she was not allowed to leave the house under any circumstances. If she was merely late getting back from a night with Ted -- this was the only eventuality Narcissa was willing to consider at this present moment -- she had no idea how she was meant to cover for her. The best she could do was deny any knowledge whatsoever and hope her mother’s recent benevolent attitude towards her would be enough to stop any further questioning. 

   The problem was, a thousand worse scenarios were trying to break their way into her conscience mind, and she was using most of her concentration to beat them back into the shadows. Andromeda could not be in danger. She just couldn’t. Narcissa had worked too hard to save her. She didn’t even remember the last words she’d spoken to her before leaving for the gathering. Worst of all to consider, worse even than the thought of Andromeda being taken, was the idea of Andromeda leaving of her own free will -- that is, leaving Narcissa behind. Of course, Narcissa had planned on being left behind, but she had been expecting a tearful parting, a demand that she come with, a goodbye,  _ something… _

   Narcissa had just managed to calm her mind, to convince herself not to think the worst before the worst was confirmed, when she was jolted out of her thoughts by the distinct sound of a blasting curse, coming from the room directly below her. The drawing room. 

   Even as Narcissa pulled her wand and raced down the stairs, heart pounding, she had a sinking suspicion  that she wouldn’t need to defend herself from any attackers. Because she’d heard that sound once before. When Sirius had left to live with the Potters and been disowned Narcissa had been awoken in the middle of the night to a sound just like that. Back then, Andromeda had been there to hold her while she cried, but now… 

   Sure enough, just as Narcissa was entering the drawing room, her mother was leaving it. Lady Black’s face was a picture of rage, and her wand was still out, and the smell of burnt fabric was still clinging to her like a poisonous gas. Narcissa threw herself to the side so as not to get in her way and encourage any violent spells in her direction. After her mother had passed, Narcissa continued into the drawing room, although by now she wasn’t entirely certain she wanted to. 

   Her eyes immediately sought out the family tapestry -- a smaller version of the one at Grimmauld Place -- and she noticed two differences at almost exactly the same moment. First, there was now a line drawn next to Narcissa’s name, connecting it to Lucius Malfoy in the manner that indicated a married union. Second, on the other side of Narcissa’s name, in the place where Andromeda’s face used to be found, was now nothing but a black scorch mark, still burning. Narcissa found, as a few seconds passed that felt like an eternity, that the feelings evoked by both revelations were either much too overwhelming for her heart to comprehend, or they merely canceled each other out, because as she stared blankly at the tapestry, entirely still and entirely frozen, all she could manage to feel was nothing. 

   Feeling did not filter back into her consciousness, not even when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see her father. His gaze did not betray any sort of sadness. Narcissa doubted he was capable of such complex emotions. But his posture did indicate regret. And that was good enough for her. Understanding began to filter back in. Her sister was gone. And she wasn’t likely coming back. She repeated it over and over in her head like a mantra, but it did not become any easier to comprehend. She could say the words, but the scope of the concept did not register in her mind. She was alone. For the first time in her life, she was completely alone. Andromeda had left her here. With her mother. 

   She knew this, but still what she said was, “Father? I don’t understand.” 

   “Your sister is gone, Narcissa. She left us for a mudblood.” came the reply, and sure, it was exactly what she was expecting, but hearing it out loud somehow made it so much worse. So much worse. Her father didn’t even sound angry. He sounded like a man reading information out of a pamphlet at the bank. Not like a man whose daughter had just run away. 

   “How do you know for sure?” asked Narcissa, clinging to some semblance of hope. 

   Silently, as solemn as a funeral director, her father held out a piece of parchment. With the feeling that she knew exactly what she was about to see, and not knowing for sure if she was ready to see it, Narcissa accepted the offering. Her father turned away and left the room, allowing Narcissa a moment of peace. It was one of the kindest things she could ever remember her father doing. 

   Just as she expected, it was a letter. And it was addressed to her. Narcissa finally felt the tears forming in her eyes as she began to read: 

  
_ “To My Darling Little Sister,  _

_ Narcissa, for you I will write a goodbye. I was going to leave without a single word, severing ties that are better off severed between myself and my family, but I couldn’t bear to leave you with nothing, because I love you more than I love my own soul. But my soul couldn’t handle another minute in this place. Narcissa, you know me. You know that I cannot survive here. And I know who you are as well. I’ve spent all this time trying to protect you, only to realize that you don’t need my protection. You can take care of yourself, little sister. But know that I love you more than anything in this world, and in another world -- a better world -- I would keep every promise I’ve ever made.  _

_ But I cannot spend another minute in this house. I cannot look at these house elf heads and smell the reek of dark magic and try to hold off the temptations of an easier life for a second longer. I have to escape. I have to. For myself, but also for Ted.  _

_ I love him, Narcissa. I love him. I love you, but I also love him. And if Mother and Father had caught us together he would be dead in a heartbeat. He needs me. You don’t need me anymore. You’re not a child, you’re an amazing young woman, and you will do great things with your life. But I cannot do the same sort of great things. I need to be myself, and in order to do that, I needed to leave. You’ll be better off without me, you’ll make a name for yourself. Narcissa Malfoy. You’ll be amazing.  _

_ By the time you read this I will be long gone. I can’t tell you where I’m going, and, little sister, please don’t try to find me. By the time you read this we’ll be far, far away, and we’ll be safe. And that means that I can finally say this: I am in love with a mudblood. I’m a blood traitor. And Mother, if you find this letter first, or even at all, I want you to know that I hate you. I hate you and everything you’ve put me through for the first two decades of my life. I hate the world you live in. I hate your prejudice and I hate your thirst for power. So I’m removing myself from the narrative. I hope you’re happy.  _

_ But Narcissa, I will see you on the other side of this war. Because war is what this is going to come to. Make sure you’re prepared. Stay safe. I love you.  _

_ Your Sister,  _

_ Andromeda Tonks.” _

   Andromeda Tonks. Of all the things in the letter to focus on, it was her sister’s closing words that drew her attention. Narcissa Malfoy. Andromeda Tonks. The last name that held them together, that made them family, that showed the entire world their claim on each other, was no longer carried by either of them. They were moving apart. So much more quickly than Narcissa had expected. 

    Because, yes, she had planned on being left behind. Nothing Andromeda had said in her letter was anything that Narcissa herself hadn’t already know. Hell, she had told Lucius just last night that she knew her sister wasn’t meant for this life of pureblood politics and deceit. She knew it. It was just… the knowledge that while she had been thinking about what was best for Andromeda, Andromeda had only been thinking about herself made her sick to her stomach. Not that she would change a single one of her choices. She wouldn’t. Because Andromeda was still her sister, no matter what the family tree said, and no matter which family names they carried. 

   Narcissa would make a name for herself. Narcissa Malfoy. And she would make her sister proud. Even if she didn’t see her again until this war was over. She would make her proud. That’s what Andromeda said she wanted her to do. 

   Intellectually, Narcissa knew all of this. But emotionally… 

   The only thing her heart could think to tell her right then was this:  _ She left me she left me she left me she left me she left me.  _

   Before she knew where she was going, Narcissa found herself in her room, letter held over the fire, prepared to drop it in. But she couldn’t do it. She hated herself because she wanted to be angry but all she could feel was pain. And she couldn’t make herself destroy the letter, because it could very well hold the last words her sister would ever say to her. Ever. 

   So she opened a random drawer of her wardrobe, and couldn’t contain an hysterical laugh when she saw that the drawer was already occupied. By Lucius’s stupid glittery invitation that refused to be destroyed. 

   It was fitting, she thought, as she put Andromeda’s letter inside on top of the glittery silver invitation and replaced the locking spell on the drawer. The letter that wouldn’t be destroyed and the letter that she couldn’t make herself destroy. Maybe she’d just fill the drawer with every sheet of parchment that ended up significant in her miserable life until it was filled with memories that she either couldn’t or wouldn’t destroy. Unless she got desperate enough to  _ obliviate  _ herself. 


	21. A Distraction... and An Idea

The rest of the evening was spent in poorly disguised despair. By the next morning, Narcissa realized that she needed to talk to someone, and neither her parents nor her clinically insane older sister were good choices. And Severus, well, Severus was busy preparing to become a Death Eater. She wasn’t going to bother him with this. Fascinating, really, that the person she usually went to whenever she needed to talk was the one she needed to talk to someone  _ about.  _

   She had reached a certain saturated level of self-pity by the time she realized that she had forgotten one very important thing: she now had an entire network of sympathetic women to contact in times of crisis, most especially one woman named Rose Parkinson, her newly declared best friend. Narcissa supposed it was time to see if the other dark haired woman had been sincere in her desire to be friends. 

    And so, Narcissa got out of bed as if nothing was wrong, took a shower, got dressed, fixed her face, and walked downstairs for breakfast. If her mother and father were surprised to see her so soon after last night’s revelation, they didn’t show it. They were both at the table already eating, and when Narcissa sat down and a house elf brought her a plate, they did not comment further than a polite, “Good Morning.” It seemed they were either in denial, or entirely willing to pretend that absolutely nothing had happened. 

    Although, when Narcissa was startled out of her thoughts by her mother placing her water glass back on the table with slightly more force than necessary, she was forced to acknowledge that perhaps her parents’ indifference was merely an act to keep up appearances. Narcissa didn’t know where the audience was, but she’d be sure to ask later. 

   But then again, Narcissa thought as she leaned back to allow the house elf to refill her own glass, was she really any better? She too was sitting at this table, trying not to look at the conspicuously empty spot to her left, and pretending that absolutely nothing was different. But what her parents didn’t know was that her act was staged for a very specific purpose. 

    Narcissa hoped her composure would pay off as she struck up a conversation with her mother, the very moment breakfast was over, “Mother, do you know the floo address for the Parkinsons?” 

    Her mother looked up at her, and for a moment, Narcissa was very sorry that she’d spoken. “Why on earth do you want their address, Narcissa?” 

    Narcissa did not like the gleam of anger in Lady Black’s eyes. She supposed that suppressed emotions had to show up somewhere, but she just wished she didn’t have to see it directed at her. She forged ahead, regardless. “I wish to contact Lady Parkinson. I met her at the gathering and would very much like to see if I could visit today.” 

    Her mother narrowed her eyes at her, running a finger along the rim of her glass. “And why is that, Child?” 

   Nice. Now she was a child. Nice to know anger made her mother even more condescending. “I’d like to spend the day with a friend, Mother. Also… I simply  _ must  _ tell someone about the engagement, otherwise I’ll simply burst with excitement.” 

   Narcissa had judged right, the reminder of the engagement made her mother’s suspicious air dissipate ever so slightly. A few more seconds passed in deliberation, before her mother said, “I suppose that would be fine. But owl first, will you? I won’t have you dropping in on people unannounced. And give me the floo address once you obtain it, because, surprisingly, I  _ don’t  _ know it.” 

   She breathed a mental sigh of relief, while simultaneously feeling irritated that her mother thought she’d try to run off after Andromeda so soon. Honestly, to do so would be completely unSlytherin. All that would accomplish would be leading her parents directly to her. And Narcissa would never risk doing that. 

   So, the very moment she could manage to leave the table, Narcissa had a house elf bring her parchment and quill and composed the following letter:

 

_ “Hi Rose,  _

_ So, It’s Narcissa. You met me at the gathering. I truly hope you haven’t forgotten already, because I could really use someone to talk to today. So, if you’re not adverse to the idea, I’d like to visit later. Or as soon as possible. Please? (If you agree, I’ll need your floo address.) _

_ Narcissa”  _

   She didn’t think Rose would object to the lack of formal titles, but she still felt nervous as she owled the letter. 

   She needn’t have worried, because less than a half hour passed before she received a reply that read, simply, “ _ Of course, darling. Anytime.”  _ followed by a London Address, which she obligingly gave to her mother before departing through the floo as quickly as possible. 

    When she stepped out of the fireplace on the other side, she was greeted by a house elf that said, merely, “Mistress Narcissa?” When she nodded, the elf began leading her through hallways and corridors until they arrived at an open doorway. 

   Inside, Rose sat on a couch in front of the fireplace reading a book. She was clearly waiting for Narcissa’s visit. The room appeared to be the sort of place where one received guests. 

   “Mistress Rose? Your guest has arrived, ma’am.” the elf announced, before dissapparating. 

   Rose looked up and smiled when she saw Narcissa waiting awkwardly in the doorway. She carelessly put her book down upside down to keep her page, and stood. “Narcissa Black. Welcome to my home.” she curtsied formally. 

   Narcissa was confused, but replied properly regardless, “Pleasure to be here, Lady Parkinson.” 

   Rose clearly couldn’t keep up airs for a second longer, because she burst out laughing and ran forward, engulfing Narcissa in an unexpected hug. “So glad to see you again, darling.” 

   In retrospect, this was more what Narcissa had been expecting. When the shock wore off, she started giggling as well. “You too, Rose.” 

    When Rose finally released her, she said, “Well, come on in, sit down, don’t be shy.” and started walking back over to her perch on the couch. However, before she made it more than a few steps, she turned, and said, “Wait just a second,” and began brushing the soot from the fireplace off of Narcissa, which she’d carelessly forgotten about in her haste to find someone sympathetic, “Sorry. My In-Laws are so very  _ particular  _ about the treatment of their furniture, which I don’t understand because they simply insisted Cass and I take it when we moved in here, but…” 

   When she’d finished removing the black powder, she grabbed Narcissa by the arm and dragged her to the sofa, where she urged her to take the spot next to her. 

   “So. Cassius tells me that you too will soon have to deal with In-Laws…”  Rose began, in what Narcissa assumed was Rose’s version of discretion. 

   “Lucius told him first! Damn, I was hoping I’d catch you before you’d found out!” Narcissa replied. 

   Rose’s answering smile was mischievous. “Lucius didn’t actually tell him anything. He just guessed. And now that I got confirmation we’ll be sure to tell Lucius that you told first!” 

   Narcissa was playfully aghast, “You tricked me!” 

   “That I did, my dear. Slytherins should not be so careless with information…” she teased. 

   “Oh, I was going to tell you regardless.” Narcissa answered flippantly. She tapped Rose’s arm playfully. 

   “So.” Rose turned to face her completely. “Let’s see the ring.” 

   Narcissa rolled her eyes, but held out her left hand for Rose to take. “Now  _ that  _ is the single most extravagant diamond I’ve seen in my life. I expected nothing less from a Malfoy engagement ring!” 

   “Isn’t it lovely?” Narcissa asked, finally taking her hand back and observing the ring herself, a wistful smile on her face. 

   “It is.” Rose replied, scrutinizing her companion’s expression. “Narcissa? Something tells me that something other than your expensive new jewelry has brought you to my doorstep.” 

   Narcissa looked up, finally. “I came through the floo.” 

   Rose cocked her head and raised her eyebrows. “I know. It was a figure of speech, love.” 

   Narcissa giggled. “I know.” 

   Rose rolled her eyes, but refused to let Narcissa distract her from her line of questioning. “Is something wrong? Are you not happy with the engagement? Because, if so --” 

   “Oh, no! No. I’m… happy with the engagement.” Narcissa cut her off, mid-sentence, “it’s not that. Actually, Lucius has nothing to do with it.” 

   “Then what is it, Dear? You’ve clearly come to tell me about  _ something. _ ” Rose prompted. 

   Now that the moment to share had finally arrived, Narcissa found herself hesitating. “It’s… a very delicate issue.” 

   Rose was silent for a moment. “Are you pregnant?” 

   Narcissa whipped her head up with wide eyes, “No! I am not pregnant,  _ merlin,  _ Rose.” 

   “ _ Well,  _ what conclusion am I supposed to jump to when you say something like that and then leave it up in the air?” she replied. 

   She watched as Narcissa barely smiled at her attempt at humor. Something was very wrong, and she’d be damned if she let the younger girl leave her home without telling her. 

   “What is it, Narcissa? You know you can tell me anything. I can keep a secret. I’ve already kept one, yes? I’ll even do an unbreakable vow, if you think it’s necessary.” 

   Narcissa saw nothing but sincerity in her eyes, and finally sighed, “That won’t be necessary. It’s not like mother’s going to be able to keep it a secret forever, anyway.” 

   Rose didn’t reply; she merely waited for Narcissa to continue on her own. 

   “You know my sister? Not the crazy one, the other one.” Narcissa began. 

   “Andromeda.” Rose replied, and took note of the effect the name seemed to have on Narcissa’s carefully balanced facade of nonchalance. 

   “Yes, her. I told you about her… lover, yes?” 

   Rose felt cold dread hit her stomach. She had suspected what this was about, but… she had known when Narcissa told her that there were an endless supply of terrible eventualities this could lead to, and she wasn’t sure she was prepared to hear which one had become a reality. “Yes, you told me.” 

   “Well, they’ve… run away. Together. Andromeda’s been disowned, it’s…” Narcissa shook her head and rummaged in her purse for a moment, before holding out a piece of parchment: Andromeda’s letter, which she’d taken back out of the drawer that morning before coming here. She’d known she might have problems explaining the situation. 

   Rose took the parchment with more than a little trepidation. She looked to Narcissa one more time before beginning to read, waiting for her nod to confirm that she was really alright with Rose reading something so personal. As she read through the note, she felt more than a little empathetic sadness welling up in her chest for her friend. She couldn’t even imagine… 

   When she’d finished reading, she silently handed the letter back to Narcissa, still reeling from what she’d just learned. She couldn’t even imagine losing a sister that way, not that Rose had any sisters of her own to lose. But Cassius had a brother, and she knew how close her Husband was to his only sibling. Especially since she wasn’t kidding about her In-Laws: Cassius’s parents were absolute sticklers for propriety and quite terrifying when they wanted to be. 

   She knew that, unfortunately, Narcissa’s mother was much, much worse, whether Narcissa herself realized or not. She could tell, just from what Narcissa had said to her already that Andromeda had been her support system and pillar in times of crisis. Rose vowed in that moment to take care of her new Best Friend, not superficially, and not only because Lucius was like a brother to Cassius. She would take care of this girl because she cared about her, despite only having known her for a few days. 

   She was drawn out of her musings by the sight of Narcissa’s hands shaking as she folded the letter back up and put it back in her purse. The sight must have struck some womanly instinct in Rose, because Narcissa immediately found herself quite thoroughly hugged for the second time that morning. Narcissa had to consciously fight the instinct to give in and start crying immediately. 

   “Oh, Narcissa, what can I do?” Rose asked, with complete sincerity. 

   Narcissa considered for a moment, then said, “Can we… do you have a garden?” 

   Rose understood immediately. “We do.” 

   “Can we go for a walk? I just want to be outside.” 

   “Of course.” They stood, and Rose hooked her arm through Narcissa’s and led her back into the hall and down towards the door to the formal gardens. Once they were outside, Rose could feel Narcissa relax a bit. The breeze and chirping of birds could do wonders for the soul. Rose finally released her, and they walked side by side in silence for a bit. 

   Eventually, Narcissa continued, “I just… I expected Andromeda to leave at some point, you know? I planned on it. I arranged my life so that she could leave without mother killing her, and so that I’d be alright when she was gone, but… is it stupid to feel hurt that she left without even saying goodbye in person?” 

   Rose considered carefully how to answer. “No, that’s not stupid at all, darling. I imagine that she was scared she wouldn’t be able to leave if she had to see you before she did.” 

   Narcissa laughed without humor. “You mean she was a coward. Salazar, I just… I don’t know how she could do it, you know? She said she’d always be there for me, and I guess I took it for granted. And I’ll probably never speak to her again. What was it she said? ‘See you on the other side of the war’ or some nonsense?” 

   “You don’t know you’ll never see her again.” Rose tried, but Narcissa shook her head. 

   “It won’t matter even if I do, because I’m meant to hate her now. Maybe one day, twenty years from now, I’ll pass her in the street with Lucius and our children, and I’ll sneer at her as if I didn’t even know her. As if she was just some nameless disgraced pureblood woman who married a mudblood. That would be worse, I think, than never seeing her again.” Narcissa replied, bitterly. 

   “Maybe things will change.” Rose shot back. 

   “And if they do, the two of us will be on the losing side of a war that she and her people had won. That’s the only way things are changing. I just can’t stop thinking that I’ll never speak to her again, and I don’t even remember the last thing I said to her before leaving for the gathering. Isn’t it funny how you never know which moments of your life are the most significant until they pass?” Narcissa lamented. 

   Rose considered, and they continued walking in tense yet not uncomfortable silence for a moment. They passed a bench and Narcissa sat on it. Rose joined her. 

   “And. And, I just got engaged the day before yesterday! I’m supposed to be happy, right now. I was happy. For a few hours, until I got home and found out my entire life had fallen apart while I was gone.” Narcissa hid her face in her hands. 

   Rose put an arm around her shoulders, offering silent support. 

   “But that’s not even what’s important. I just want to know that she’s alright, you know? I want to make sure Ted’s going to take care of her. I know he loves her, very much, but I never spent much time around him at school. Their relationship was a secret, obviously, and Andromeda’s a few years older than me anyway. Merlin, I just… wish I could tell him that if he leaves her voluntarily I’ll hunt him down and destroy him.” Narcissa concluded. 

   Rose had a suggestion, but she wasn’t sure how it’d be received, so she proceeded very carefully. “What if you sent him a letter?” 

   Narcissa looked up, finally. “No, I can’t! I will not give away their location, not for anything. No matter how upset I am, I will not do anything to jeopardize their happiness.” 

   “Yes, but what if we went to the Post Office in Diagon Alley? You could rent an owl to send a message, and no one would be the wiser. It could give you closure. Make you feel better…” Rose suggested. 

   “Andromeda told me not to contact her.” 

   “Then don’t contact her. Contact this mudblood and makes sure he knows to take proper care of your sister.” Rose countered. 

   Narcissa found herself, absurdly, considering the idea. It probably would bring her some well needed closure to be able to send a final message of her own. And what could it possibly hurt if she didn’t even use her own owl to send the message? And so, she found herself saying, “Maybe you’re right.” 

    “Of course I am, darling.” Rose replied, finding herself very relieved to see Narcissa perk up at her acceptance of Rose’s suggestion. “We should go immediately.” 

   “But I don’t have permission -- or a decent excuse -- to go to Diagon Alley.” Narcissa pointed out. 

   “Ah, but I have a Husband. I find they make excellent escorts when out in public. And they ward off the unpleasant questions.” Rose replied. 

   “I don’t know, Rose…” 

   “Don’t worry. Cass won’t ask unpleasant questions either. If for no other reason, he knows Lucius cares about you, dear.” Rose said. 

    “Oh, alright. Let’s go.” Narcissa finally agreed, thinking that this was absolutely mental… but also that she felt a bit better already. It was good to have a female friend. Sev wasn’t great with the emotions and such things. And Narcissa figured if her support network had abandoned her, she might as well get to work building herself a new one. 

 


	22. Closure

Turns out that Rose was very right: Cassius did not ask a single difficult question. In fact, he agreed to a spontaneous trip to Diagon Alley without hesitation or complaint. Mostly because Rose’s method of request was very similar to a demand. 

   After they had walked back into the house, they found Rose’s husband in what appeared to be a sitting room, engaged in some paperwork that he immediately set down when Rose entered the room, a certain determined expression on her face. “Love, we’re going to Diagon Alley.” Rose informed him, leaving out any hint of doubt that her words were anything but absolute truth. 

   Cassius merely sighed and stood up, grabbing his coat, “I take it I’m meant to understand that ‘We’ includes myself, not just you and Lucius’s fiance, correct?” 

   “Very.” Rose replied, a smug grin gracing her lips. 

   “My name is Narcissa.” Narcissa felt it necessary to inform him. 

   “As if Lucius could let me forget.” Cassius replied, and Narcissa couldn’t help the warm feeling that spread from her heart outward through her body at the idea that Lucius talked about her. Merlin, she was in way too deep. 

   Once Cassius and Rose were certain they had their things, Cassius asked, “Where exactly are we off to, Ladies?” 

   “The post office. We have a mission that we are not likely to tell you any details about. Code of Friendship, and all that.” Rose informed her husband. 

   “Blasted code.” Cass said, grinning knowingly, “You and your friends really enjoy keeping me out of the loop, don’t you?” 

   “We do, Love, at that.” Rose answered, giving absolutely nothing away. 

   With that, Cassius graciously offered Narcissa his arm for side-along apparation, due to her status as a technically underage witch. Narcissa found it spectacularly ironic that she was old enough to be married, but not old enough to transport herself to Diagon Alley. Regardless, she accepted his arm and they all promptly disappeared with the characteristic loud crack. 

   They arrived in the very middle of the Alley, pressed against an anonymous shop, in order to make sure they didn’t land directly on top of any unsuspecting shoppers. Narcissa released Cassius’s arm, and gestured for her companions to take the lead. Rose obligingly took her place beside her husband, her hold on his arm possessive, like a tigress that would willingly protect what was hers. 

   Narcissa followed a pace behind them as they made their way down the street, into the crowd of Witches and Wizards. She couldn’t help but marvel at how true Rose’s assertions had been: all they needed was a man and no one questioned their presence even once. Many men nodded to Cassius as they passed, acknowledging him as a Lord of the Parkinson family, some as equals and some as inferiors, distinguished by Cassius’s answering nod -- or lack thereof. 

   They arrived at the Post Office, and Cass held the door open for Rose and Narcissa to enter before him. Narcissa resented the necessity for such gestures of propriety when out in public. She could very well open a door by herself. 

   Immediately, the young and pretty witch behind the desk asked, “What can I help you with, Lord Parkinson?” 

   Rose raised a disdainful eyebrow at her immediate recognition of her husband. She and Narcissa exchanged a glance. 

   To his credit, Cassius answered in exactly the right manner: “I’m merely escorting my wife and her friend, Miss Black, about today. I’ve been roped into a shopping trip by this one, right here.” he laid a fond arm around Rose’s waist. The woman looked mildly abashed. Rose just smirked. 

   Narcissa left them to their encounter, and made her way over to the side of the room, where a table sat equipped with parchment and quills for those who wished to compose their letter in the Post Office. 

   She wasn’t entirely certain where to begin, so she just decided to go for it: 

 

_    Ted,  _

_ First, you must know that I do not mean to use this letter to track your location; I swear to you that I would never do anything of the sort. If you don’t believe me, at least believe that I would never voluntarily harm my own sister. I hope you feel the same way _

_ Just know that if you do not -- if you voluntarily harm my sister in any way, shape, or form -- I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and personally make sure that she never has to see your face again. Just swear to me -- or more importantly, yourself -- that you will never leave her unless she personally asks you to go, and we should not have any problems.  _

_ However, barring any necessary violent encounter between us, I wish you no ill will, and hope that you and Andromeda are happy together. I know that we did not have much time to get to know each other, and in a better world I would make certain for myself that you are a man worthy of my sister’s affection and love. Due to the circumstances, all I can do is entreat you to be that man -- a man that is good and true and loves my sister with all of his heart and soul, because, although I may never see either of you again, I want nothing more than for Andromeda to live out her life in happiness.  _

_ I do not know where you two are or what you plan to do, and as much as I may wish you to, I know you cannot respond to my letter, so do not think I expect you to: I don’t. And please don’t tell Andromeda that I contacted you. In the note she left, she told me not to contact her in any event or circumstance.  _

_ My final request is that you live lives worth living, and do not think too badly of me for following my own path. I hope to see you, as Andromeda says, on the other side of this war.  _

_ Fairest Regards,  _

_ Narcissa Malfoy. _

   Narcissa had debated momentarily which surname to use as her signature, but had eventually decided that she needed to get used to the name she would soon carry for the rest of her life. She also wanted Ted to know that Narcissa Malfoy felt the exact same way as Narcissa Black did. If, in the future, they happened to meet, and Narcissa was forced to show only disdain towards him, she wanted him to know that in her heart, she felt differently. It was a poetic notion, but ultimately useless. She figured the intricacies of her choice in name would escape everyone other than herself. 

   She looked up from her letter to see the Post Office still nearly deserted, other than a few patrons milling about. Rose and Cassius stood against the wall a little ways away, speaking quietly to each other. She watched them silently for a moment, observing their closeness and obvious comfort with each other. She wondered if she and Lucius would ever feel that way about each other. Their intimacy was obvious in every movement: the way that Cassius casually reached over to brush her hair behind her ear, and Rose smiled at him with eyes much softer than those she turned on the rest of the world. Narcissa felt an ache in her chest that she couldn’t quite explain. 

   She broke herself out of her revery with a shake of her head and approached the desk to ask the Witch for an owl to mail her letter. The Witch behind the counter eyed her with disdain, but after a glance at Cassius -- who was entirely oblivious, still engrossed in his conversation with his wife -- she reluctantly accepted Narcissa’s money in exchange for an owl. Narcissa sent the letter off without hesitation or regret, and felt much lighter as a result. 

   She made her way back over to her companions, and Rose looked up and smiled as she approached. “Do you feel any better?” She asked, clearly concerned for Narcissa’s emotional state. 

   She needn’t have worried though. “I feel much better. Thank you. You give absolutely brilliant advice.” Narcissa replied. 

   Rose grinned wider, and stepped forward to engulf Narcissa in the third hug of the day. “I’m glad. It’s getting late. You should stay for supper, Narcissa. I’m sure your mother won’t mind. We’ll even discuss the wedding so you don’t have to lie.” 

   “Rose!” Narcissa exclaimed. 

   Rose looked entirely unrepentant. “Alright, I’ll stay for supper.” Narcissa eventually conceded. 

   “Brilliant! I’ll have to tell the house elves the moment we get home.” Rose said, as they made their way back into the Alley to search for a safe apparation point. 

   As they walked, Cassius turned back to Narcissa to say, “You took advice from my wife? You must be mad!” with a conspiratorial wink.

   Rose immediately responded with a playful slap to his arm and a stern admonition. Narcissa looked on with easy affection for her new friends. They made a very sweet couple, whether Rose would ever willingly admit it or not. 

   Supper that night was pleasant and easy. They talked about simple things -- lighthearted things. They shared their thoughts on how and where Lucius would choose to publicly propose, each of them coming up with more outrageous ideas than the last. Narcissa asked Rose about her own wedding: despite having attended it, Narcissa remembered very little about the event, which she sheepishly admitted. Rose was very happy to remind her. It was an enjoyable evening. And Narcissa refused to feel guilty for being happy, because you could not betray a sister that had betrayed you first. 


	23. An Elf, and A Mother-In-Law's Test

Of course, one evening spent with friends did not stop Andromeda’s absence from hovering in the back of her mind, like a phantom she couldn’t seem to banish. She often found herself turning to say something to her sister, only to remember that Andromeda wasn’t there. But Narcissa was most adamantly  _ not  _ sad. She wasn’t miserable, and she most definitely wasn’t lonely. She just had to adjust to being a little bit more independent than she was used to. 

   The morning after her day with Rose and Cassius, Narcissa received a very unexpected letter. It arrived during another awkwardly silent breakfast with her parents. Narcissa was very glad for the distraction. 

 

“ _ Miss Black,  _

_ I have come to the realization that we have not formally met, despite your recent attachments to my son. I would very much love to spend the day getting to know my future daughter-in-law. If you would join me at Malfoy Manor at any time most convenient before noon, I would be most delighted. I do believe we have much to discuss.  _

_ \--Lady Malfoy” _

   Narcissa did not get the feeling that the invitation was optional. Nor was she naive enough to trust in Lucius’s mother’s transparency. It would not do to walk into this meeting unprepared. 

   Therefore, Narcissa prepared to make use of all resources at her disposal. She immediately firecalled Rose and Cassius’s house. Cass was the one to answer. 

   Without any sort of introduction, Narcissa asked, “What the Hell does Lucius’s mother want?” To Cissy’s slight annoyance, he immediately burst into amused laughter. This, unfortunately, merely confirmed Narcissa’s worst fears.

   “Oh, Merlin, how bad?” she asked, already feeling moderately distressed. 

   His eyes glittered with mirth as he replied, “Very bad. You’re being evaluated.” 

   Narcissa raised her eyebrows, “Like a show pony?” 

   “Like a girl her son is marrying -- and becoming quite attached to, if my suspicions are correct.” Cass responded. 

   “You’ve met her?” she asked. 

   Cass laughed again, until he finally took note of her unamused expression. “Yes, I have. I was best friend evaluated many years ago. I’ve avoided the woman as much as possible since.” 

   “Absolutely brilliant. So it’s likely I’m dying today, that’s what you’re saying?” Cissy was feeling worse and worse by the minute. 

   “You’ll be fine. Lucius is already quite fond of you, and besides, you’re good, pureblood, Death Eater stock anyway. Once the marriage ceremony turns your hair blonde you’ll fit in brilliantly.” Cassius said in what he meant to be a comforting manner. He was incredibly confused when this only seemed to distress Narcissa further. He studied her widened eyes for some sort of clue. Finding nothing, he asked, “What is it?”

   Narcissa was having trouble articulating. Finally, she reached up to touch her gorgeous, curly, black hair. “My hair?” 

   “Oh, for Merlin’s sake girl. Didn’t you know that?” he asked, with a roll of his eyes. 

   “No! I’ll miss my hair. I  _ like  _ my hair.” Narcissa was entirely caught up in the image of herself with icy blonde locks. She didn’t much care for it. 

   “Well, dye it back. Regardless, I suggest you focus on your  _ bigger problem _ , notably one interfering mother-in-law.” Cassius reminded. 

   This brought Narcissa back to earth quick. Cassius disappeared for a second, then reappeared. “Rose wants me to tell you, ‘I told you you’d have to deal with them soon. Good luck, girly.’ I’m assuming you know what that means.” 

   Narcissa sighed. “Unfortunately, yes, I know what that means.” 

  “Hey, you’ll be fine. Just don’t let your guard down. That woman is sneaky.” Cassius concluded, before disappearing from the fire. 

   Narcissa, alone once again, gave herself only a mere second to wallow in self-pity. Then, she picked herself up off the floor and went to get her shit together. 

   First, she dressed in one of those casual gowns embroidered with the black family crest. She then did her hair half up, half down to give herself that fierce, sharp look that pureblood women were so fond of. Finally, she asked her father to escort her. 

   If she had had more time to make plans, she would have undoubtedly found some other suitable male escort, but with the limited time frame, she had to make do with what she had. Therefore, she found herself departing for Malfoy Manor through the floo, following after her father, despite the recent increase in tensions amongst the family. 

   She stepped from the fireplace gracefully, this time remembering to brush off the soot, before joining her father beside the house elf that had come to escort them. 

   “Hello, Lord Black and Mistress Narcissa, if you will be following me, please.” said the house elf, gesturing for them to follow him out into the hallway. 

   Narcissa pretended not to notice the sideways glance her father sent her way. She resolutely looked forward to a painting of some old, blonde, Malfoy ancestor -- that smirked at her knowingly, a fact she also ignored -- refusing to acknowledge what they both knew: the house elves addressing her as a Mistress of the house said very good things about the Manor’s acceptance of her as the future wife of the Malfoy heir. 

   Eventually, they came upon an invisible barrier, which Narcissa and the elf passed easily, but Lord Black was unable to cross. The elf turned back to address the -- clearly angry -- head of the Black family. “I is being very sorry, Sir, but I is afraid that Sir is not being allowed to cross into the family rooms. Sir is not having proper blood clearance. Dobby is to be returning to show Sir to a room where Sir may wait for his daughter’s return.” He said, clearly referring to himself. Lord Black looked as if he wanted to protest this, but he soon seemed to realize there was nothing he could do about it. 

   After a moment’s standoff between her father and the elf, Narcissa was relieved to see Lord Black step back and wave them forward, clearly resigned to the situation. 

   Silently, Dobby the elf continued along the hall, and Narcissa followed him. She quickly decided that this house elf could be a potential source of information, and that she planned to make use of it. “So, Dobby…” she began. 

   The elf froze for a second, as if stunned, but then continued walking. “Mistress is speaking to Dobby? Is Mistress Narcissa needing something?” he asked. 

   “Oh, no. I was just wondering,” Narcissa thought how to word her question, “What your opinion is on Lady Malfoy.” 

   Without a second’s thought, Dobby replied, “Mistress Octavia is being very kind. Mistress Octavia is rarely making Dobby punish himself, Madam.” 

   Narcissa was shocked, “Punish yourself?” Even her mother was rarely that cruel to the elves. As Lady Black often said, “If you punish the elves too often, they will be unable to do work for you, and what could possibly be the use for that?” 

   Narcissa supposed, however, that the Malfoys owned so many house elves, that the absence of one due to injury would not impede the proper running of the estate. 

   “Oh yes. Dobby is often making mistakes that Master Abraxas is being made to tell Dobby to punish himself.” 

   “I see…” Narcissa responded, disturbed. She doubted that a loyal elf would often make mistakes. She found it more likely that Lucius’s father merely enjoyed using his elves as an outlet for his anger. 

   Suddenly, she had a thought. A cold one that snaked it’s way down her spine and back up to her heart. “Dobby, does Master Lucius often ask you to punish yourself?” she held her breath in anticipation of Dobby’s answer. They turned a corner, and Narcissa followed blindly. 

   “No.” Narcissa finally released her breath in relief, “Master Lucius is also being very kind to Dobby. Except when Master Abraxas is being watching. But Master Lucius is even apologizing at times when his father is not being present, Mistress.” Suddenly, Dobby widened his eyes, and ran straight to the wall, slamming his head into it over and over again. 

   Narcissa immediately said, “Dobby stop! Stop it!” and, to her surprise, the elf actually stopped. She realized only later what it meant that she had the ability to command obedience from the Malfoy family elves. Narcissa glanced back and forth down the hallway once, then knelt down next to the elf once she was sure there were no portraits in the hall to report her actions to Lady Malfoy. “Why do you punish yourself, Dobby?”

   “Master Lucius is telling Dobby to never mention his kindness to another witch or wizard, Madam. Dobby is breaking his promise.” Dobby answered, miserably. 

   Narcissa felt upset, quite suddenly, both for the poor elf before her, and that her fiance felt the need to hide his kindness in his own home. Of course, she knew that her own situation with her mother was not very different. She rushed to reassure the elf, “Don’t worry, Dobby, I’m Lucius’s friend. I’m sure he won’t mind you told me. In fact, I am to be his wife, and I would never tell his secrets.” 

   Dobby looked up, hopeful. “You is saying the truth, Mistress Narcissa?” 

   “I am. Now we must get up. You have to take me to Lady Malfoy.” Narcissa stood up, brushed off her dress, and waited politely for the elf to pull himself together. 

   “You is to be following me, Madam.” Dobby said, before continuing. “Mistress Octavia is being in the Women’s Room.” 

   “The Women’s Room?” Narcissa asked, intrigued, as she followed Dobby around yet another corner, which led to a flight of stairs, which they presently began to climb. 

   “Yes, Dobby is to be taking you there. It is being just up these stairs.” Dobby replied, offering no other explanation. 

   Knowing that she was unlikely to get any more from the elf, Narcissa merely resigned herself to waiting until she arrived there to find out more about the so called Women’s Room. She wondered absently how many wards she was passing through this time, as she followed Dobby straight into the heart of Malfoy Manor. 

   Finally, they stopped outside large, imposingly beautiful doors. No script could be seen to describe the nature of the room, but there was a glowing purple line on the floor forming a rectangular shape with the door as one of the long sides. Narcissa recognized it quite quickly as a Gender Line. Quite similar to an Age Line, a Gender Line only allowed people of a certain gender to pass without serious consequence. Usually, they were used to keep women out of important meeting places. Narcissa felt immense satisfaction to see one used in this manner. 

   Dobby waved a hand at the doors, and they drifted open of their own accord. “Mistress Octavia is being inside.” He gestured for Narcissa to step over the gender line and into the room. 

   Despite her confidence in her gender identity, Narcissa was still irrationally nervous that the line would reject her. However, as expected, she passed into the room without a problem. As she stepped forward, she was met with the sight of a classically gorgeous blonde woman, who she knew to be Lucius’s mother, standing to greet her. 

   Lady Malfoy curtsied, and Narcissa copied the gesture, nervously waiting to be invited to sit. Immediately, she felt as if she were being scrutinized. The worst part was that she was entirely certain that she wouldn’t know if she came up lacking in any way until the entire ordeal was over: this woman was far too intelligent to pass snap judgements. 

   “I see you’ve passed the first test.” was Lady Malfoy’s first comment. 

   “Pardon me, Madam?” Narcissa found was the only way to answer a comment she didn’t quite understand.

   “You’ve made it into the room without problem. And since you are, in fact, of the gender that is able to bare children, I don’t have to worry about Lucius having a sexuality crisis.” Lady Octavia explained. 

   Narcissa was entirely certain her responses to such strange topics of conversation were being closely monitored, and she tried for the life of her to come up with an intelligent response, but what she eventually came out with was, “Was there a sexuality crisis?” 

   “Since you’re here, love, I suppose not.” Lady Malfoy responded, “I was beginning to get a bit worried though.” 

   “I see, Madam.” 

   The lady of the Malfoy clan and her future daughter in law merely looked at each other for a long moment, before Octavia flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and said, “Child, do sit down. It’s not right for a lady to stand so.” 

   Flabbergasted and slightly offended, Narcissa sat, and said, without thinking, “Well, Madam, I’ve also been told that it’s not right for a lady to sit without being invited to do so, either.” 

   For a moment both women were silent, and Narcissa was deathly afraid that she’d just failed every single test with one sarcastic and misplaced comment. 

   Narcissa was entirely certain her terror showed on her face, and was therefore also entirely surprised when Lady Malfoy began to laugh, her elegant giggles ringing in the otherwise silent room. “Darling, you should see your  _ face _ ! That was absolutely priceless. I see you have some spunk after all. That’s good. You’re going to need it. You know what, call me Octavia.” with that the endlessly proper and graceful Lady Malfoy held out her hand for Narcissa to shake. And shake she did, despite her unfamiliarity with the concept. 

   “I don’t know, Madam, I--” 

   “Enough with this ‘Madam’ nonsense.” Octavia cut her off, “You will call me Octavia and I will call you Narcissa and it will be as if we’re already family. I insist.” 

   “If you insist, Octavia.” Narcissa responded, knowing she still sounded stiff and formal, but pleased to see that the Lady smiled briefly at her name, knowing this meant another test passed. 

   “So, Narcissa, I’ve been informed that my son has already given you the ring?”

   “Yes.” Narcissa replied, barely stopping herself from saying “Yes, Madam” and holding out her hand in example. 

   Octavia nodded. “It’s lovely.” 

   “It is.” Narcissa agreed.

   “I must say, my husband has been in quite the rage that he proposed without our express permission.” Octavia let slip, quite easily.

   If she expected Narcissa to be phased, she was speaking to the wrong woman’s daughter. “But weren’t you going to give your blessing anyway?” 

   Octavia hummed her confirmation, “Yes, but he did not wait for my husband to give it. It was taken as an act of defiance.” 

   “I’m sorry to have caused such problems in your family.” Narcissa said, warily. 

   “You are not.” Octavia responded, her eyes going cold immediately.

   “I beg your pardon?” Narcissa asked, entirely uncertain of what she’d done wrong.

   “You are not truly sorry. Do not pretend that you are.” 

   “Don’t Malfoy’s thrive on manipulation?” 

   “They do, but not in this room. This room is sacred. We do not lie to each other in here.” Octavia countered. 

   Narcissa remembered hearing something similar from Lucius in the Room of Truth. She endeavored to remember better next time. “I shall not, in the future.” 

   “Endeavor not to.” 

   The silence was palpable. “This room is lovely.” Narcissa said, to fill the silence. Looking around, it truly was. Everything was done up in the most elegant of fashions, and it was all very feminine. 

   “I’ve spent much time in it over the past week. We must have  _ someplace _ to escape from those Malfoy men. I believe our predecessors knew that. It’s why this room was made.” Octavia answered. 

   “To hide from our husbands?”

   “Oh, no. We do not hide. We take breaks from, but we do not hide from our husbands. Hiding implies a sort of… cowardice. Inequality.” 

   “I see.” 

   “Malfoy women do not allow ourselves to remain inequal. That would not do well for the family.” 

   “Then it’s a good thing I’ve never allowed myself to remain oppressed.” 

   “If this is true, then my son has chosen well. I’ve not quite decided for myself if he has chosen the  _ best.”  _ Octavia made her comment without spite or scorn. She did not mean to inflict pain. She only meant to speak the truth. Pure statement of fact. 

   Narcissa respected this. It was a form of power that she admired. “Tell me which tests I must pass, and I swear to you that I shall.” 

   “Do you love him? My son, I mean.” 

   Octavia’s question came entirely out of nowhere, taking Narcissa by surprise. She remembered: no deceptions, lies, or half truths. She knew which mistake Octavia was waiting for her to make here. She thought carefully about her answer. “I’m not sure.” 

   Octavia raised one eyebrow in question. 

   “I did not before, that much is certain. I find myself… beginning to. It’s strange. It’s a strange feeling.” the words came from somewhere deep inside her soul, and she knew them to be the truth. 

   “This, I can accept, child. What I could not have accepted was an untruthful declaration of devotion, one I half expected you to give to me. I find that I like you. Would that my personal opinion could always be enough…” Octavia lapsed into silence. 

   Narcissa found herself saying, “Your manor seems to like me.” 

   Octavia found herself startled into laughter. “So it does, child. The house elves are partial to you as well. The manor’s magic speaks to me, as it will one day speak to you. The elves are tied into the core of it. Dobby has already informed them that you will be a kind mistress. I only hope that my son will be kinder than my husband has trained him to be.” 

   “I will try my hardest to make him that way, Madam.” Narcissa said, solemnly, and with the weight of truth. 

    Octavia studied her, closely. “I know that you will, Narcissa Black. I see it in your eyes. And that is why I give you my blessing.” 

   Suddenly, Narcissa felt a wave of power flow over her. Magic, perhaps from the manor, perhaps from something far more ancient. She knew what it was: the blessing of one Malfoy woman to another. However it had happened, Narcissa had passed a test. Perhaps even the final one. 

   “Now, child.” Narcissa looked up at her future mother in law, “We must discuss the location at which you wish to be proposed to. It is of utmost importance that we go public with this as soon as possible. Before my husband can interfere.” 

   And, with that, they did. Narcissa, somehow, already felt like a member of the family. 


	24. A Proposal and A Plot Twist

Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black became officially engaged in a lovely and famous park in wizarding London. To those who viewed the photographs in the newspaper, the entire proposal seemed spontaneous and romantic. To those politely requested or hired to witness the proposal in person, the entire ordeal seemed very staged, but only slightly less romantic. Present by request were both Narcissa’s and Lucius’s parents, the entirety of the Death Eaters’ Wives Club -- husbands included --, Bellatrix and Rodolphus, and Severus Snape. Present by hire were three photographers, a wedding planner, and many “Casual Pedestrians,” meant to act mildly surprised and proceed to offer well wishes and congratulations after the proposal took place. This was for the photographs. Narcissa herself was incredibly frustrated by the grandiosity of it all, but no one could ever accuse her of being a bad actress. 

   They had planned it all out in advance: the scene was meant to look as if Lucius and Narcissa, as well as their assorted families and friends, had come to the park for a casual get together and Lucius had invited Narcissa for a walk. During the time between his asking and their completion of a circuit around the park, Lucius had found the courage somewhere inside to propose. Narcissa was incredibly shocked and delighted, so much so that she could not contain her emotions, and immediately and enthusiastically accepted. This had caused so much of a scene that all other visitors to the park -- of which there were suspiciously many -- had stopped what they were doing to watch, entirely entranced by the proceedings. 

   After Narcissa’s engagement ring had been returned to her finger and the happy couple had shared a moment to themselves for hugs and excitement, their friends and relations had rushed down to the iconic bridge they just happened to have been paused at, to offer congratulations. Following this, a crowd of well wishers -- moved to joy and sympathetic excitement by the entire show -- had descended upon them with tears in their eyes to offer their own congratulations. The entire thing was caught on camera by photographers that had been spontaneously present due to the Journalist’s “knowledge of these things.” 

  In the pictures, all of this showed through fantastically. Each one was a small, moving, representation of the innate elegance and near-perfection of the upper class. In reality, however, things were a bit different. 

   You see, Narcissa was wearing a rather uncomfortable dress. Her shoes were a pain as well, because, unbeknownst to the cameras, she was wearing very tall heels so as to be  _ nearly _ 6 inches shorter than Lucius. By the time the park was set up like the set of a muggle motion picture, her hips already hurt from the dress and her feet already hurt from the shoes. Also, she had a headache. 

   She didn’t quite understand why, exactly, they needed a photo of Lucius asking her to go for a walk instead of them just  _ going for a walk _ , but they still ran through the scene three times in order to get an adequate picture. 

   Indeed, it was only because they were completely “out of character” for the third attempt that they accomplished the feat at all. Lucius could tell Narcissa was not happy. That did not bode well for the rest of his day, or, for that matter, for the rest of his marriage. Therefore, he changed the line he was meant to whisper in her ear from, “Would you care for a stroll in the park, Miss Black?” to “Precious, I swear if we don’t get this right after two more tries, we should just run away and elope…” 

   As it was whispered, no one could tell that any difference had been made, except this time when Narcissa looked up and smiled politely, it was more of a genuinely natural smirk, which was immediately caught on camera. 

   Her response as she took his hand and stood: “That sounds lovely, Mr. Malfoy. The weather today is excellent.” Since this was both an entirely appropriate and entirely inappropriate answer to Lucius’s improvised line, both of them could barely contain their laughter. This was promptly caught on camera. 

   As they began their circuit of the park, Narcissa leaned on Lucius quite a bit. Not because she was so in love with him that she could not help herself, although that’s what it looked like. In reality, it was because her shoes hurt her feet so very badly that she needed his support to remain standing. A picture was promptly taken of this as well. Which was alright with Narcissa because, despite the reason for her leaning being very practical and not all that romantic, Lucius held her up all the same. 

   When he dropped down to one knee to propose, her surprise was feigned, but she found that her happiness was not. When he said, “Precious, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he looked directly in her eyes, and he smirked because he knew she would say yes. To others, it seemed like arrogant and pompous overconfidence. To her, it seemed like Lucius Malfoy. Her lover, soon to be her husband. 

    When she said, “Yes! A million times, yes!” it did not sound like a line said by an actress. It did not sound staged. Narcissa just sounded happy. After returning to her the ring she had just given back to him on the way over to the park, Lucius had stood and lifted her bodily off of her feet, spinning her once in the air, grinning in a way that suggested he had lost all sense of facade and manipulation. This was caught immediately on three different cameras by ecstatic photographers, all of which hoped to have gotten the best angle so as to sell their version to the Daily Prophet for the front page. 

   When her friends and family came rushing in, Narcissa was a little overwhelmed. She was feeling a rush of emotion she hadn’t felt when they rehearsed it, because, despite it all being planned out, this was very real. And she was much happier than she thought she’d be. 

   To her ears, Lord and Lady Black’s congratulations were hollow, but as proud as was possible: she had accomplished all she had ever been meant to accomplish, as long as she could  _ also _ accomplish the follow through. Lord Malfoy’s congratulations were nonexistent, because he wasn’t present. He had a business deal to complete. Octavia Malfoy, despite her stone cold posture and unmoveable blonde updo, carried eyes that sparkled with emotion and hands that clasped Narcissa’s warmly as she kissed her on each cheek, because she had, for the first time, seen what she needed to believe that her son had not only found a woman who would be good for him, he had found a woman he could love. 

   Rose merely threw herself into Narcissa’s arms, while Cassius followed behind more sedately to shake hands with Lucius. Rose whispered to Narcissa, “I’m so proud of you, Munch!” and although Narcissa didn’t quite know what that meant, it still meant more to her than any amount of polite congratulations that followed from the rest of the women of the Death Eaters’ Wives Club.

   Severus approached her much more formally, but once he was before her, Narcissa could not resist hugging him. He hugged her back just as tightly. “I wish ‘Dromeda was here, Sev.” she whispered, only because he was her oldest friend and understood. 

   He hugged her tighter, “I know. But it looks like you’ve got something great, Cissy. But don’t you dare forget that promise…” 

   She knew immediately which promise he meant. Last year, at the last Slytherin house party before school ended for the summer she had dramatically declared sometime around midnight that they could not possibly lose touch because the moment her first son was born she would make Severus his godfather, no matter what her husband said! This had been several months after Lily had decided the two of them weren’t worth her time anymore, and Sev had been incredibly melancholy. 

   “I would never! We’ll be seeing way too much of each other at Holidays, Severus Snape, don’t you doubt it.” she replied, finally releasing him. 

   Bellatrix merely smirked from beside their mother. Something in her eyes told Narcissa that Bella didn’t plan to be outdone. Narcissa, however, didn’t feel much like competing. She knew this would do nothing to deter her sister from her attempts at winning. 

    And then, they had been descended upon by a crowd of hired well wishers. Narcissa was sure a photo of this was taken as well, but she was much to overwhelmed to see for herself. People gave her flowers and said nice things, but they also got way too close and spoke way too loud, eager to fulfill the roles they were being paid to play. 

   Sometime in the middle of this ordeal, she found her eyes drawn to one man in particular, one she was almost certain she recognized, although she couldn’t place where from. Once he saw that she had noticed him, he approached her immediately, grabbing her hand to shake. “Miss Black, congratulations on your engagement. You might not remember me, but we went to school together! I was a few years above you, though.” 

   Nothing about his demeanor or what he said was all that remarkable. What was remarkable was that, while he was shaking her hand, he passed her a note, which she immediately fought through her surprise in order to hide in her sleeve. 

   After him came more and more people, and she soon lost sight of him in the crowd. By the time all the pictures were taken and the actors had dispersed to enjoy the rest of the day in the park, he had disappeared. 

   A few hours later, at the conclusion of a long and happy day with her friends, future husband, and soon-to-be mother-in-law, Narcissa had forgotten about the note and the mysterious man entirely. 

   It was only when she got back home and removed her dress to get ready for bed that she found the note once more. It was written on muggle paper, rather than parchment. The sight of it filled her bloodstream with an instant shot of dread that didn’t have a particular focus, it just was. It turned out the dread was attracted for a reason, however, which she discovered as she unfolded the note and read: 

 

_ “Narcissa,  _

_ Andromeda is not with me. Contact Sirius immediately. We must meet up and form a plan as soon as possible. Share this note with no one. I suspect foul play. _

_ \--Ted.” _

   This was her worst dreams come to life. This was everything she’d ever worked for crumbling to ashes. While her mother and father peacefully and smugly fell into the arms of sleep, confident in their soon to be inherited wealth, Narcissa silently opened the drawer she filled with every piece of paper that had ever changed her life, placed this one inside, cast a stronger locking spell than ever, put a dress meant for daylight hours back on, and walked mechanically over to the fireplace with the floo powder, the Potter household’s address already on her lips. 


	25. The Potters'

 When she arrived, everything was pitch black. This was to be expected, of course, since it was no earlier than 1:00 A.M. and every sane person was asleep. Sane, apparently, now included the Potters. 

   Of course, her arrival also set off the alarms, so the living room did not remain pitch black for long. Before she knew it, the lights were thrown on, and a wand was pointed at her throat. The owner of said wand had brilliant red hair and absolutely captivating green eyes. Narcissa swore those eyes could see straight into her soul. She would recognize them anywhere. 

   “Narcissa Black, I swear to God, if you think you can lead your little Death Eater friends straight into our home then you better think again. I don’t know what Siri was thinking, giving you access to this place, but he sure as Hell wasn’t using his logic.” said Lily Evans, her red curls bouncing with the vehemence of her words. 

   Looking into the eyes of her former friend, the only Gryffindor ever brave enough to venture into the dungeons, and the only one trusted enough to be allowed in, Narcissa wondered how it was possible that so much had changed in such little time. But the woman before her was no longer the girl she had called her friend. This one was harder, less innocent, and soon to be married to James Potter. But none of this mattered at that moment, because, “Lily, please, I need your help.” 

   Lily just scoffed. “You have some nerve walking in here and --” 

   At that moment, the door was thrown open and Sirius and James entered the room, eyes darting around the room to take in the situation in less than a second. 

   Sirius’s eyes landed on Narcissa. They remained there. For the first time in her life, Narcissa couldn’t read their expression. 

   “Lily, darling, what on earth is going on?” James asked, the first to break the silence. 

   “This traitor, this  _ Death Eater’s wife _ , just broke into our home, that’s what’s happening, James!” Lily replied, still incredibly worked up. 

   “I am not a traitor, and I’m here because I need your help. Please.” Narcissa defended herself. 

   “You’re marrying Lucius Malfoy.” James replied, as if that was the single defining factor. 

   “It’s an arranged marriage.” she fired back. 

   “You don’t look too upset in those pictures.” Lily said, jerking her head towards a special edition of the Daily Prophet, the cover of which presented a romantic image of Lucius spinning Narcissa around in a circle while she giggled. 

   “It’s -- He’s not that bad.” Narcissa finished lamely. 

   “Siri told us you were scared of him. That he gave you the creeps. To think, I actually felt bad for you.” Lily said. 

   Narcissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out. She didn’t know how to explain. But she also knew that none of this mattered. They were wasting time. “I need your help.” she repeated. 

   “I already told you I --” Lily began, but Narcissa cut her off. 

   “Siri, it’s about Andromeda.” she said, in a last effort to get through. If they didn’t believe her, she wasn’t certain what she’d do, but she certainly wouldn’t waste time trying to convince them. 

   But at her words Sirius’s eyes widened. “What happened to Andromeda?” 

   “Didn’t you hear? She was disowned. I thought she ran away with Ted, but he says he doesn’t know where she is, and he told me to come here so you have to believe me!” Narcissa felt like she was falling apart. She felt tears begin to form in her eyes, but she blinked them back. 

  A second passed. Two seconds. Maybe it was because he could hear the emotion in her voice, and maybe it was because this Narcissa looked nothing like the cold woman she had become and everything like the sweet little cousin he remembered, regardless of the reason, Sirius nodded and said, “I believe you, Cissy. Lily, lower your wand.” 

   Lily looked absolutely aghast. “Sirius!” 

   “Lily, lower your wand, or I swear to Merlin…” Sirius repeated. 

   Lily looked into his eyes, and slowly her hard look faded. Something in his face told her to listen. She lowered her wand. 

   Narcissa immediately sunk to the ground. She held back tears, but just barely. She hugged her knees and tried to calm down. No one knew what to do. 

   After a moment, however, a woman’s voice said, “Oh, honestly…” and shoved past the others gathered around to kneel down next to Narcissa. 

   She looked up. It was Mrs. Potter. Narcissa stared at her mistrustfully. The woman just looked concerned. “Come on, dear, let’s get you somewhere more comfortable.” she said, holding out her hand. 

   Narcissa did not take it. Instead, she stood on her own, wrapping her arms around herself. Mrs. Potter put an arm around her shoulders, regardless. Narcissa tensed up, but said nothing. The crowd wordlessly parted, and Narcissa was led over to the sofa, which she dropped down onto, and immediately curled back into herself. The others chose various other pieces of furniture and sat down. Mr. Potter had also now joined them. 

   “Cissy, why don’t you start from the beginning.” Sirius suggested. 

   “I’m not certain there’s a beginning from which to start.” Narcissa replied, sounding more like herself. “But I’ll try. A week or so ago my parents and I attended a Society Gathering at Malfoy Manor. When we returned, Andromeda was gone, but she had left a note explaining how she was running away with Ted. Mother was furious. I was upset, but mostly just happy for her. I sent Ted a letter asking him to take care of her, and I thought that had been the closure I needed to move on.  But today, while we were at the park for the proposal, a man approached me. I recognized him, but I wasn’t certain why. I now believe that it was Ted himself under Polyjuice potion. He passed me a note, which said that Andromeda wasn’t with Ted, and instructing me to come here for help. So here I am.” 

   There was silence as everyone processed this. “Do you have this note with you?” James asked. 

   “No, it’s locked in a drawer in my room.” Narcissa said, shaking her head. 

   “You just left it there where anyone could find it?” Lily asked, incredulous. 

   “No one can break my locking spells. You know that as well as anyone,  _ Lily _ .” 

   Lily looked away. The others got the feeling there was a story behind this, but that it wasn’t likely to be shared. 

   “Did the note contain any other relevant information?” asked Mr. Potter. 

   Narcissa gave a hopeless shrug, “Only that he suspected ‘foul play’ whatever that means.” 

   Sirius and James immediately sat up and exchanged a glance. “Death Eaters.” they said, as one. There was a collective inhalation of breath. 

   “How can you be certain?” Narcissa asked. 

   Lily snorted, “It’s an Order code. Foul play means Death Eaters are involved.” 

   “But why would they take her now?” Narcissa asked, not wanting to believe that her fiance’s father could have anything to do with this. 

   “Does anyone have any knowledge of plans they might have? Any reason why they’ve waited until now to take her?” asked Mr. Potter. Everyone shook their heads. 

   Sirius met Narcissa’s eyes. “You know what this means, don’t you? They must have known about Ted this entire time.” Narcissa nodded solemnly. She didn’t doubt that this was the truth. “But that still doesn’t explain why they’ve waited until now to punish her…” 

   Narcissa thought back to that night, but all she remembered was Lucius and Rose and the crowds. And her parents talking to Lucius’s parents, she thought with derision. They were probably planning right then. Most of the Death Eaters were present that night. She didn’t remember anything else, other than Severus -- 

   Narcissa’s blood went cold. Ice cold. “Merlin…” she whispered. 

   “What do you know?” Lily asked. 

   Narcissa looked up. She had forgotten the others were present. “The Death Eaters, they’re having a ceremony. An initiation ceremony, on the night of the full moon.” 

   “That’s four days from now.” Sirius said, his voice shaky. 

   “Can they mark her against her will?” James asked his father. 

   “Voldemort can do damn near anything he wants. Especially to those he considers traitors.” replied Mr. Potter. 

   “Merlin, Andromeda…” Narcissa whispered, deadly fear for her sister filling her chest. If she could take her sister’s place she would in a second. Andromeda was not made for this life of death and dark magic. 

   Lily looked at her with narrowed green eyes. “How do you know about this anyway?” 

   Narcissa looked at her steadily, but silently. She started to tear up again, as she watched the realization form on her former friend’s face. 

   “No.” Lily said, shaking her head. “He can’t. He can’t do it. Sev wouldn’t…” 

   A tear escaped down Narcissa’s cheek. “Lily, I…” 

   “Oh my God.” Lily said, standing and going for the floo powder. “He can’t do it. I have to --” 

   Narcissa stood as well, and when Lily tried to pass her on the way to the fireplace, she grabbed her arm. “Lily, stop. There’s nothing you can do.” 

   Narcissa was openly crying now. For Andromeda, for Severus, for the friendship she’d lost with the girl before her. When Lily turned to face her, Narcissa saw that tears were running down her face as well. “Nothing I can do? I can find him and tell him to stop this right now.” 

   “He has to. Lily, he  _ has to _ . It’s not like it was his choice.” Narcissa replied. 

   This just made Lily more certain of what she had to do. “All the more reason to find him.” she yanked her arm back from Narcissa’s grasp, but Narcissa just grabbed both arms this time. 

   She said, clearly and steadily despite her tears, “You don’t understand. He has to do this to protect his mother. To protect  _ himself. _ ” 

   Lily just yanked both arms back and moved away from Narcissa. “What do you care? You’re just a Death Eater’s  _ whore _ , anyway.” 

   Lily began to walk towards the fireplace. Narcissa had been feeling sympathetic. She’d been feeling desperate. But now, all she felt was pure, flaming, anger. “At least I’m not marrying the man who tormented us for  _ seven years _ , you hypocritical Bitch.” She didn’t yell. She just said the words, calmly and without revealing her fury. 

  It did, however, get Lily to turn around. “How dare you?” 

  “No.” Narcissa said, grabbing the floo powder from Lily’s hands and promptly smashing it on the Potter’s living room floor. “How dare  _ you _ , Lily Evans.” The sound was like a gunshot in the silent room. 

   Lily just stared at her for a second, but then she put her hands over her mouth to cover a sob and dropped to the ground, amongst the spilled powder and broken ceramic. Narcissa soon did the same. Through her welling tears, she stared at the blur of gray powder on her black dress. She couldn’t bring herself to care. In fact, she just scooped up more powder and rubbed it into the expensive black fabric. Because, honestly, who the fuck cared? 

   After a moment, James began to say, “Narcissa, I --” 

   “Don’t you fucking  _ even _ , Potter.” Narcissa said over what was undoubtedly an insufficient apology. James fell silent. 

   Lily looked up, and when Narcissa met her eyes, she saw that they no longer held any malice, or any blame. They only held guilt. “God, it’s all my fault.” 

  Narcissa wasn’t sure what moved her to do so, but she laid a hand on Lily’s shoulder and said, “It is the fault of no one but the Dark Lord. All of it.” 

   Sirius broke this latest silence. “Whatever. Snivillus made his own choice. Can we please get back to deciding how to save my little cousin?” he said, for Sirius was older than all three Black sisters.

   Narcissa put her head in her hands. It was all very overwhelming. 

   “I told you not to call him that!” Lily snapped, her anger provoked again. 

   “I’ll call that man what I want!” Sirius snapped back. 

   “Sirius.” James said, calmly. 

   “What, am I supposed to obey your every word, James? My cousin is in danger!” 

   “Well, you are a dog.” James replied.

   There was silence. Then everyone burst into laughter, breaking the tension entirely. 

   “God, this is a mess.” Lily said, “We don’t even know where to start.” 

   “We need to find out where the Death Eaters hold their prisoners.” Mrs. Potter replied. 

   Mr. Potter interjected, “But even then we won’t know how to get in and out safely, and free a prisoner on top of that.” 

   Narcissa had a thought. “I think I know who I could ask.” 

   Sirius realized what she meant first. “No.” 

   “ _ Yes. _ He will tell me anything he knows.” 

   “Have you considered that he may be in on this?” Sirius asked her, incredulously. 

  “Lucius has nothing to do with this!” 

   “And how do you know?” 

   “Because he loves me!” she shouted, effectively silencing the room. “He knows how much she means to me. He had nothing to do with this.” 

   There was absolutely no argument that could be made against something like love. “How do we even contact him?” James asked. 

   Narcissa actually smiled. “Easy. I pay him a visit.” 


	26. A Reconciliation

That night, however, Narcissa couldn’t bear to go home. A home that was full of parents who betrayed their children and one sister who broke her promises to another. 

   Furthermore, Lily and James had been unceremoniously separated for the night: a minor -- but important -- issue to James’ parents at the moment. 

  Therefore, Narcissa found herself spending the night, not only in  _ Potter’s  _ house, but also sharing a small guest room with two twin beds with  _ Lily Evans.  _ The same woman she’d just had a shouting match, followed by a strange bonding session, with. Lovely. 

   Of course, it didn’t help matters that Lily was  _ crying.  _ Narcissa had absolutely no idea what she -- a Death Eater’s  _ whore--  _ was supposed to do to comfort the girl who used to be her closest female friend. She wasn’t even entirely certain what the other girl was crying about. 

   “Look, Lily, everything will work out in the end.” she said after some thought: formally, but unable to untrain herself of the familiar address. 

   “How on earth could you claim something like that, Cissy?” Lily demanded, anger present in place of sorrow. 

   Narcissa absolutely abhorred unnecessary crying. It did nothing to help the situation, and all it did was make one feel worse. And ruin one’s makeup. Nevertheless, she was used to Lily’s emotional nature. “Because Severus is a strong man. And Lucius will help us.” 

   Something about her words made Lily look up. She studied Narcissa closely, searching for what Narcissa first assumed was sincerity, until she said, “God, Cissy, I’m so sorry.” 

   “What?” was the most articulate response Narcissa could form after something so strange as that. 

   Lily just shook her head, tearing up yet again. “I could hear it. When you said his name. You really do love Lucius Malfoy.” then she let out an unfunny laugh, a strange sound in the dark of the night. 

   “Do I?” asked Narcissa, because even she wasn’t certain on the matter. 

   Lily smiled as if this only confirmed her suspicions. “Yes, darling, I think you do.” she said, and also, “I’ve been a fucking hypocrite. Can you forgive me?” 

   “Yes, you have. But Merlin, Lils, of course I forgive you.” and Narcissa found that she meant it. 

   The two of them did not hug, and there was no dramatic display of sisterly affection, because Lily was definitely not Rose Parkinson. But they smiled at each other, and Narcissa felt again that maybe when she found herself on the other side of this war, things might be alright after all.


	27. An Exchange

The next morning, it was decided that Narcissa would send Lucius a short, sweet, and affectionate-sounding note. It read the following: 

 

“ _ My Dearest Lucius,  _

_ I find myself lonely, and missing your presence. I should hope you wouldn’t mind if I paid a visit to your home today, in order to see you and assuage my impatience at the unbearably long time I must wait to become your wife. I await your reply.  _

_ Love,  _

_ Narcissa Black.”  _

 

   Lily, Sirius, and James read over her shoulder as she scrawled the words in elegant cursive. As she finished writing and looked up, she found their questioning eyes trained on her. “Yes?” she asked, hoping to be informed as to what seemed to be so confusing. 

   “Is he truly going to buy that?” Lily asked, skepticism coloring her voice. 

   “Is that truly the way you speak to Lucius Malfoy?” added Sirius, his tone leaning more toward disbelief. 

   “Are you truly so impatient to marry such a scoundrel?” asked James. This was teasing. Oh, how she abhorred it. 

   Narcissa displayed her disbelief at their incompetence quite clearly on her face, but was rewarded with no change in manner. She sighed, and explained, “No, he will  _ not  _ buy such an excuse, because that is, in fact,  _ not  _ the manner in which I customarily speak to Lucius Malfoy, and because of all this, he will know something is wrong. However, his father will suspect nothing.” 

   Lily and Sirius were stunned into silence. James, however, had no such qualms. “You didn’t answer my question. I feel rather left out.” 

   Narcissa stood up. “That is because not one of you will like my answer.” With that, she left three stunned Gryffindors to their thoughts, and went to owl her letter. 

   Not an hour and a half later, a response was received. 

 

_ “Sweetest Narcissa,  _

_ Of course, I would be incredibly delighted if you would present yourself at the manor as soon as possible. We cannot have you missing me and in such obvious distress. Please, come visit at your earliest opportunity.  _

_ Love,  _

_ Lucius Malfoy.”  _

 

   Narcissa laughed aloud upon reading the note. If she had not been so very confident in her own intuition, she would’ve had a hard time believing that Lucius was actually  _ playing  _ with her. Even more astonishing to her was the fact that she could detect his lightness of tone not because of the teasing words he used, but instead due to the glaring lack of the word “Precious” throughout the entire thing. 

   At the expectant looks of the others, she resignedly held up the note, which was immediately snatched from her fingers. It was read aloud by one James Potter, and the company seemed rather relieved that Lucius had both caught on and not denied her request to visit. 

   She did, however, catch Sirius looking at her strangely. “What?” she asked. 

   Embarrassed to be caught, Siri looked away before saying, “Nothing, I just don’t know what’s funny about it.” 

   Due to the fact that Narcissa did not ever blush, she did no such thing. Instead, she smiled secretively and said, “You wouldn’t.” 

   Sirius only looked more confused, but Lily caught her eye and gave her a conspiratorial grin. Narcissa hesitated only a moment before returning the expression. There were some things, she supposed that only someone who  _ understood  _ could understand. 


	28. A Death Eater's Beliefs

No time was lost in sending Narcissa to the manor. Lucius had said she could come at her “earliest opportunity,” which indicated that he understood the severity of the situation. The floo powder had been scraped off the living room floor by someone or another at some point during the night, and what could be salvaged of it had been placed in a new -- plastic -- container. Narcissa refused to feel guilty. She knew the Potters had plenty of wealth, and could easily purchase more once this crisis was resolved. 

   Musings aside, Narcissa knew she needed to remain calm and collected. Her sister’s life depended on it. “I will be back within two hours. With answers. If one of you could contact Ted and have him come to this place before I return, that would be highly expedient.” 

   With that, Narcissa grabbed a handful of offered floo powder, threw it into the fireplace, stepped inside, and said, “Malfoy Manor.” Immediately she was gone. Silence descended upon the room. 

   “What in Merlin’s name do we do now?” asked Mr. Potter. 

   “Well that’s easy.” said James, “We contact Ted and tell him to come to this place immediately. You know, in order to expedite the process.” 

   Sirius held on valiantly for three or four seconds before bursting into laughter. “Love, don’t make fun.” Lily admonished. 

   “I wasn’t, entirely. Does anyone have Ted Tonks’ address?” 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Narcissa arrived at the manor in the same room as last time. Curiously, she was met by the same elf, as well. “Dobby!” she greeted, pleased to see the creature again. 

   “Mistress Narcissa recognizes Dobby!” He replied, happily. 

   “Of course I do.” she responded, with a smile for the elf. She was, however in a hurry. “Dobby, have you seen Lucius? I owled ahead and he said I could visit.” 

   “Master Lucius is being in his rooms. Dobby will be taking you there.” 

   “Thank you, that would be lovely.” she responded, glad to have found such an easy path to Lucius’ location. 

   “Oh no, Mistress, the pleasure is Dobby’s” said the elf, before starting off through a door -- which he held open for Narcissa to pass through -- leading deeper into the house. 

   Narcissa followed, attempting to use the time to think of what she would say to Lucius, and how. She was, however, far too preoccupied by her worries for her sister to plan anything of use. She would rely on her innate breeding to guide her, then. 

   All too soon, they arrived before a set of large and ornate silver doors. Dobby knocked on them once, before opening them with a gesture and bowing. He then straightened, and said, “Mistress Narcissa is being here to visit Master Lucius.” 

   As the elf moved to the side, Narcissa got her first look at Lucius, and to her immense surprise, she was far more relieved to see him than she expected. 

   It only took one word -- “Precious?” -- before she was walking forward and directly into his arms. 

  He held her tightly for a moment before releasing her, only to place his hands on her shoulders and study her face. “Narcissa, what’s happened? You’re shaking.” 

   She needed to know one thing before she began. “Is this room private? Can anyone hear what we say here?” 

   Lucius only looked more concerned. “No, my rooms are warded against spies, but, Narcissa, what’s  _ happened?”  _

   She’d thought she would explain things carefully, making sure to keep the details to herself. She’d thought she would be perfectly capable of dealing with this as she would a business transaction. But now she found herself back in Lucius’s arms, inhaling his scent, and saying, “It’s about my sister, the one who --” she couldn’t bear to say it. Not now. 

   “The one who’s in love with a mudblood?” Lucius asked, and Narcissa closed her eyes for a moment, regaining her composure. 

   “Yes, her. Andromeda. She… ran away, she was disowned, and I thought she would be fine, but… but now I fear…” Narcissa began, not entirely conscious of what she was saying, just feeling anchored enough by Lucius’ presence to finally fall apart. It may have been stupid, it may have been reckless, but there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop it. 

   “Come, sit down.” Lucius said as her silence dragged on a few moments, and led her to a sofa, which she gratefully sank into, Lucius beside her. 

   She took a deep breath and detangled herself from him. She needed to see his expression as she said these next words, or else she wouldn’t be entirely certain if she could trust him. 

   “I fear that my parents have sold her. To the Dark Lord.” she finished, at a whisper.

   And when she saw how Lucius  _ looked  _ in response to those words; when she saw how his eyes darkened and filled with something that made her feel as if he would burn villages to keep her from ever being this upset again, she knew he had absolutely no knowledge of the plot, and her heart swelled with something she was far too preoccupied at the moment to identify. 

   “Lucius, she wasn’t meant for this life. I will happily charge into it, as long as she can be freed from the responsibility. But the marking ceremony is in three days, and not even she can resist the Dark Mark, much less prevent the Dark Lord from enacting his revenge when angered.” Narcissa continued, hoping to win his support in every way it could be useful. 

   “And the Dark Lord would view harboring feelings for a mudblood as the greatest disgrace and betrayal. If it is true that he has her, he will show no mercy.” Lucius added, his voice cold and serious. 

   Narcissa knew that what he said was true, she  _ knew _ it, but still she shivered. Lucius took note, and his eyes softened. “Do you know where the Dark Lord keeps those to be marked?” 

   When he cast his eyes downward, Narcissa’s fears were confirmed. “They’re kept in our dungeons up to a week before the ceremony. The Dark Lord does not allow second thoughts or misgivings.” 

   Narcissa grabbed his hand earnestly, and tried to meet his eyes. “Is there any way that you --” but she could not ask this of him. It was too much, too dangerous to his position. 

   Lucius met her searching eyes, and there was not a drop of hesitation in his tone as he said, “I will find out if she is being kept here and get as much information as possible to you. But I must implore you to have patience and await my letter. Do not attempt to charge our dungeons without a plan like a reckless Gryffindor. It would also benefit you to make use of your contacts.”

   She knew he meant Sirius. “I already have.” 

   He looked proud of her. “Excellent. I will send word tomorrow morning at the latest.” He pulled her close again. “Make sure to collect yourself before you leave here: on the off chance that you meet one of my parents on the way out, you’ll want to appear perfectly composed. They cannot know that you have any clue as to what’s happened to your sister.” 

   “Then you believe them to be involved?” she asked, hardly knowing what drove her to do so. 

   Lucius’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “Your sister’s actions go against everything they believe in. And not a thing goes on in this manor that they are not aware of.” 

   “I distinctly remember you saying the same thing about yourself.” Narcissa remembered, a cold wave of distrust washing through her. 

   Lucius said, “Yes, but I’m not aware of everything. The manor does not belong to me yet.” He took a deep breath and continued, “Perhaps when I made that statement, I was merely showing off for a woman I admired.”

   Narcissa’s glare slowly transformed into a smirk. “Or something similar.” she said, leaning in for a chaste kiss. “I should be going now. I told my… contacts that I’d be back within an hours.” 

   Lucius glanced at his watch. “Merlin, I wasn’t aware so much time had passed.” 

   Narcissa stood and brushed off her dress, before walking to the door. She hesitated, however, with her hand on the doorknob. “Lucius?” 

   “Yes?” 

   “Don’t my sister’s actions go against everything  _ you  _ believe in as well?” Narcissa asked, almost terrified of the answer. 

   Lucius just looked at her, for a long moment. Then he said, “Perhaps. But anything that causes you harm goes against my beliefs even more, Precious.” 

   Narcissa just nodded once, and managed to keep the smile off her face long enough to get back into the hallway and close the door. 

   “Will Dobby be escorting the Mistress back to the fireplace?” asked the elf, who appeared to have been waiting for her return. 

   “Yes, please. That would be very helpful, Dobby.” she replied. 

   What Narcissa did not mention, however, was that she didn’t truly need a guide: somehow, she felt as if the manor would not allow her to be lost within it’s winding halls. It was much too fond of her for that. 


	29. Enter: Ted Tonks

When Narcissa flooed back to the Potters’ house, she found the living room devoid of life and the lights turned out. Though she knew this likely just meant that everyone was gathered in the kitchen instead, she couldn’t help the way her heart palpitated in fear. After one person in your life gets kidnapped, she supposed, it becomes much easier to believe others have been as well. 

   When she opened the door to the kitchen, she did, in fact, find an entire crowd waiting within. The assault of the bright lights on her eyes almost made her wish she’d stayed alone in the living room. At least, until she saw who had arrived while she’d been gone. 

   Upon her arrival, everyone was standing, gathered around a figure sitting at the kitchen table. He had a cup of tea set before him, but he didn’t appear to be drinking it. He seemed the very picture of misery, and Lily had a hand on his shoulder, consoling him. Although Narcissa hadn’t seen him since before he and Andromeda had graduated Hogwarts, she recognized him immediately. 

   All conversation stopped as Narcissa walked in, feeling almost as if she were interrupting something. The moment he saw her, Ted pushed his chair back from the table and stood. The crowd moved back wordlessly as he made his way toward his lover’s sister. At first, Narcissa harbored illusions of  _ shaking hands _ like normal acquaintances, but these vanished as Ted held his arms out, and Narcissa allowed him to hug her, the way she would hug a brother, if she’d had one. 

   Ted Tonks may have been a near stranger, a mudblood, and a soldier on the opposite side of the war, but in that moment none of these things really mattered, because he was also another person who  _ loved Andromeda  _ just as much as Narcissa did. And that was far more important. Far more important. 

   Once he finally released her, Ted said, “Andi will never believe us when we tell her we were getting along.” 

   Narcissa was profoundly grateful for his certainty that Andromeda would return to them, safe and sound. She tried to reflect that in her response, “Oh, she’ll believe it. She assures me that the two of us have very much in common, although I myself remain skeptical.” 

   “You know, I do believe she’s told me the exact same thing. I must have forgotten.” he responded.  

   “And are you as skeptical as I?” 

   “Probably much more so, Narcissa.” 

   They shared a smile, before each claiming seats at the Potters’ big table. 

   “Do sit down, everyone. No need to wait on us like royalty.” Narcissa said. Everyone seemed to snap out of their reverence and moved to obey. 

   Now that he was certain his speech wouldn’t intrude on anyone’s grief, Sirius seemed to have regained the ability, “What did Malfoy have to say?” he asked. 

   Narcissa sighed at his complete lack of tact, but proceeded to answer his question. “To put it briefly, he has informed me that The Dark Lord does, in fact, keep his prisoners in the dungeons at Malfoy Manor, and that Andromeda is likely being kept there.” 

   There were gasps all around. “He’s sure that Voldemort has her, then?” James asked, causing Narcissa to shiver at his bold use of the name. 

   “He agrees that it is the only explanation that makes any sense, yes.” Narcissa confirmed. 

   “In that case, what are we waiting for? Let’s storm the place.” said James. 

   He started to stand, but his father laid a hand on his arm to stop him. “Not so fast, son. We need a plan.” 

   “A plan? The full moon is in three days, and we have no idea when Voldemort plans to move them for the ceremony. This may be our only chance to free Andromeda.” Sirius argued. 

   “We  _ also _ don’t know for certain that Andromeda is being held in Malfoy manor. We only have Lucius Malfoy’s word as to what he believes is most likely.” Lily countered. 

   “How can we be sure we can trust a single word he says, anyway?” asked Peter Pettigrew, whose presence Narcissa had not noticed in her single minded focus. 

   “We can trust him because I trust him.” Narcissa said, in a tone of voice that left no room for doubt. “As to your concern, Lily, Lucius told me he’d check the dungeons in order to find out for certain and send as much information as possible. He told me to wait until he sent word, and that is what I plan to do.” 

   “If we wait too long, Andi could be lost. I can’t live with myself if I was just  _ waiting _ here while she…” Ted said, trailing off. 

   Narcissa closed her eyes for a moment. Of course, it was up to her, the sharer of his grief, to reassure him. “I swear on Merlin’s name that if we haven’t yet received word from Lucius two days from now, I will tear apart the manor searching for her myself.” 

   There was silence for a moment. No one could really deny a statement like that. 

   “That’s a powerful promise to make…” Pettigrew said. 

   “And I won’t ever have to keep it. Lucius will contact us within two days.” Narcissa said, and there was no more discussion on the topic. What else was there to say until they knew more?

   And finally, it seemed to be the right time to ask, “Why didn’t you notice Andromeda was missing until my letter, Ted? I’d been under the impression the two of you were meeting almost every day.” 

   Ted looked down at his teacup, avoiding her eyes. “I’m quite ashamed to admit that I was fooled, just the same as you.” 

   “How so?” 

   “Well, you see,” Ted began, with some reluctance, “I also received a letter the day Andromeda was taken by the Death Eaters. 

   “Mine was also written by Andromeda, or at least by someone who knew her style very well, because in it, Andromeda told me she was breaking up with me because I was muggleborn and her family would disapprove. She told me she needed to stay with the family to protect you, Narcissa, and that she couldn’t imagine leaving you alone with those people. 

   “She said her fear of her mother and the loss of her status and money had overcome her love for me, and I am incredibly ashamed to say that I believed it. I’m even more ashamed to admit that I was so hurt, so very betrayed, that I didn’t even look into it or try to contact her again. Perhaps if I hadn’t believed so readily that she would never really leave her family for the likes of me… but I guess it’s not worth it to dwell on what if’s at this point, is it?” 

   Narcissa felt her eyes begin to water again, but she blinked it back. “We were both fools. Me for believing she would leave without a proper goodbye, and you for not believing she’d leave at all. They played off of our jealousy for each other. If there is shame to be felt, then we should share it equally.” 

   “Yes, but  _ you  _ at least must have sensed that something was off. Otherwise you wouldn’t have sent me that letter. Imagine where we’d be if you hadn’t.” Ted said. 

   “No, imagine where we’d be if you hadn’t come up with a plan to get a note to me without attracting the attention of my mother. In reality, we both fell for the Death Eater’s lies. I sent you that letter for  _ closure.  _ Because I felt enough self-pity in the absence of my sister that I needed to challenge your ability to protect her. But not because I didn’t believe Andromeda capable of leaving me like that.” Narcissa replied. 

   “Where the Hell did the letters come from, anyway? Do you think they tortured Andi and made her write them herself?” Ted looked incredibly distraught as he voiced these concerns, and Narcissa had to admit that she’d considered the possibility herself, but had been unable to dwell on the horror. 

   “Not our ‘Dromeda.” Sirius said. “She would never write those letters. Not even under Cruciatus. She’s too damn strong, that woman.” 

   Narcissa said, “I must admit you have a point, but where else could the letters possibly have come…  _ Merlin.”  _

__ She had come to a very hideous realization, and the more she considered it the more she thought it must be true. 

   “What?” asked James. 

   “Someone who  _ knew her style well _ and is also working for the Dark Lord?” Narcissa exclaimed, “There’s only one person that could be. Bellatrix wrote those letters; there is no other explanation.” 

   “Fuck.” muttered Ted, his face in his hands. 

   Sirius threw his arms up and said, “Can’t trust  _ anyone _ in this Godforsaken family, I’m glad I got out when I had the chance.  _ Fuck.” _

   Narcissa willed herself not to burst into tears again. Lily seemed to sense it from beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Narcissa was grateful for the support, even from a woman who had called her a bitch just the day before. 

   Mrs. Potter placed a cup of tea in front of her with a soft smile, and Narcissa muttered a “Thank you.” because her breeding demanded it. She took a small sip, then just sat stirring it. She had never felt so betrayed in her life, and Salazar knew she would never really trust Bella again. As she crossed another name off her mental list of people she could depend on, she couldn’t help feeling as if there would likely come a day when she had been betrayed by so many people that there was no one she could trust except herself. 

   There was a moment of silence, and then Mr. Potter said, “You both may have been fooled, but there is no reason to dwell on it. You are both young. Mistakes are excusable. All that matters is what we do now. We will find Andromeda, I swear to both of you.” 

   Narcissa was not comforted much by his words: she may have been young, but she should have known her sister better than that. She should have  _ known.  _ Suddenly, she felt as if she couldn’t spend a single moment longer in that room. 

   “Thank you for your kind words, and for your help. I’d like to rest for a while, please, as there is nothing to do now but wait.” Narcissa hesitated a moment, but when there were no forthcoming objections she picked up her tea and her dignity and left for the room she had shared the night before with Lily, hoping for a few hours of peace and quiet. 

   The moment the door had swung shut again behind her, Sirius stood up. “I’m going to firecall Remus. He’s going to want to know what’s happening.” 

   “I’m sure he wishes he could be here, Padfoot.” James said, knowing full well the significance of the full moon beyond the marking ceremony. 

   Sirius only looked at him for a moment, forced a smile, then left the room. 

   Quite suddenly the silence was broken again by Ted loudly getting up from the table and leaving as well without a single word. 

   “Merlin, this is a complete fucking mess.” James said, leaning his head back. Lily held her hand out across the table, palm up, and James laid his hand on top of hers. 

   “We’ll figure it out, my Love.” she said, “We always do.” 


	30. Midnight Bonding

Narcissa did not spend a pleasant night. She sat awake for hours -- the doors and windows closed tightly to keep out the still-bright evening light -- worrying so much and so painfully that she would almost prefer a  _ Cruciatus  _ to this agony. 

   She worried about her dear sister, sitting in a cell in the dungeons of the manor Narcissa would one day rule over, with no idea whether a single sympathetic soul knew of her imprisonment, perhaps even believing Narcissa herself to be in on the Dark Lord’s schemes.

   What worried her the most, however, was how very much she worried over someone  _ else.  _ Lucius was risking his position, his family, and his life for her. She did not once doubt that he would keep his promises. He would not betray her, not even for his Lord. And she  _ knew _ he was clever. He knew the layout of his own Manor much more thoroughly than any spy they could possibly send. And yet, she feared for him, in a way that was both visceral and all consuming. 

   She just wished she didn’t feel as if she were betraying her sister by worrying about someone else more. 

   Sometimes, all she did was hate herself. 

   She was aware of her surroundings enough to be vaguely surprised when Lily joined her sometime around nightfall. Narcissa looked up to see Lily smiling faintly, looking as if she was unsure of her welcome. “Are you not spending the night with your paramore?” Narcissa asked, something like jealousy curled in her tone. 

   Lily just shook her head. “No. And it’s ‘Fiance’, actually.”

   Narcissa looked away. “I expect congratulations are in order.” 

   “Oh, Cissy.” Lily said, sitting next to her and slinging an arm around her shoulders, “Malfoy  _ will  _ contact you tomorrow, and then we’ll be able to construct a plan. Don’t you worry.” 

   Narcissa sighed, realizing she would have to explain her complicated feelings. “Of course he will. I’m just worried that  _ he’s  _ going to get himself hurt in the process.” 

   Lily studied her for a moment, silent and intent. “I know what you mean,” she sighed, “Whenever James goes off to do something dangerous without me I can’t help but worry. But he always comes back, safe and sound. Your pureblood man will be fine. As much as I hate to admit it, they’re smart bastards.” 

   Narcissa laughed a bit, despite herself. “I’ll have you know that his bloodline is traceable back several thousand years.” 

   “As if I’d ever doubt it.” 

   The two women shared a moment of mutual amusement, but then Narcissa became morose once again, thinking about both the reason why they’d fallen out in the first place and the fact that, after Andromeda was safe, they’d go back to fighting for opposite sides of a war. 

  “I’ve missed you, Lils, since you and Severus stopped talking.” Narcissa said. 

  “I’ve missed you, too, Cissy.” was all Lily said in reply, because she knew the same things Narcissa did. They were on opposite sides, and even if they both made it through the war alive, one of them would be on the side of the victors, the other on the side of the losers. And Narcissa wasn’t even sure she wanted her side to win. 

   She supposed, however, that she had better hope the Dark Lord prevailed. If not, she’d end up with a Husband in Azkaban and a life in ruins. It wouldn’t do to dwell on the future, however. She still had a sister to save. 


	31. The Plan

 Lucius did, in fact, send word the very next day. He did not, however, do so early in the morning. 

   This meant that -- despite her valiant efforts to remain asleep until an owl arrived bearing information -- Narcissa had to spend several hours awake and worrying. 

   She dressed practically, hoping they would have a chance to storm the Manor that very day, and marched down the stairs to the Dining Room, well aware that it was nearly noon and Lucius had not yet sent a message. She ate breakfast at the same time as various members of the Order of the Phoenix were eating lunch, and remained silently in the corner as they discussed things that she was fairly certain they shouldn’t discuss in the presence of a Death Eater’s wife. Minerva McGonagall and Alistair Moody were both in at different times for different reasons, and both of them greeted her coldly. The first, she was certain she did not deserve, as she had been a very good Transfigurations student, and the second she was certain she did, as Moody was right to suspect her.

   Despite her less-than-warm welcome, Narcissa was glad for the distraction of listening in and watching people come and go from the house. Sirius did not appear until after Narcissa did, a feat that she considered most impressive. She told him so, and he just replied, “I try, dear Cousin, I try.” 

   It was nearly dinner time when the owl finally flew in, bearing a letter in an unmarked envelope. The only reason Narcissa knew it was from Lucius was the owl’s conscious decision to fly past several people closer to the window to perch directly in front of her, indicating studiously that she was the intended recipient of his letter. 

   Narcissa relieved the owl of its burden, and said, “Thank you, no reply.” Before she could even open the letter, she had an entire crowd behind her, all of them just as impatient as she. 

   The letter read as follows: 

 

_ “Darling Narcissa,  _

_ I deeply regret to inform you that you were right. Your sister is being held in our dungeons, and the Dark Lord plans to mark her this full moon, the day after tomorrow. I’m sorry my letter comes so late, I had to wait until Father was distracted to sneak down to the dungeons.  _

_ I spoke to your sister briefly, and she was at first very hostile toward me. I also regret to tell you that she believed both of us to have been in on her capture, and cursed me for corrupting you. Once I had disabused her of this notion, she told me to tell you how proud she was of you, and not to get yourself killed trying to rescue her. She looked very weak, Precious, I suggest you and your contacts come to rescue her as soon as possible. She seemed so drained that it was as if she were in Azkaban with the Dementors.  _

_ I am enclosing a map of our Manor for those you bring with you, I suggest they attempt to memorize as much as possible of the dungeons before you all come bursting in; our dungeons are second only to your Hogwarts in their ability to confuse intruders. The wards will allow you into any part of the building you choose, but you will need to alter the wards for anyone else you wish to bring past a certain point. Remember that my Father knows who is in his Manor and when. I’ll try to make sure he’s sleeping before you arrive.  _

_ Finally, you should know that the Dark Lord is spending the night in the manor and plans to transport the prisoners to the location for the marking ceremony tomorrow. I am not certain of the time. I would suggest you stage your attack tonight. Please try not to cause too much of a ruckus. It would be much preferable if our Lord remains asleep through the night, as well as my Father.  _

_ Please take care of yourself,  _

_ Lucius Malfoy” _

 

   The moment she finished reading, Narcissa found the aforementioned map and glanced at it only briefly before passing it to Sirius. The Manor would not allow her to get lost within its walls. She also gave the letter to one of those still reading, and exchanged a glance with Ted, who looked just as worried as she felt. There would be no peace for either of them until Andromeda was safe from the Dark Lord. 

   “Of course, it’s just our luck that bloody Voldemort himself is staying in the Manor. That makes everything twice as difficult.” James said, just as soon as everyone was finished reading. 

   “Don’t use that name.” said his mother, giving him a stern look. 

   Sirius snorted, “‘Memorize the dungeons,’ he says.” he turned the map so that everyone could see it. It looked rather more like a labyrinth than a dungeon. “Sure, let’s also memorize every fucking possible position of all of Hogwarts’ staircases while we’re at it.” 

   Before he could get into a real rant, Narcissa said, “I know my way around those dungeons. The Manor will guide me. All of you should just have a general idea of the layout before we go in.” 

   “Speaking of which,” Lily said, “How are we getting in? We can’t just all apparate directly into the dungeons. That would definitely set off some sort of alarm.” 

   “I’ll floo over first, then alter the wards to admit all of you. Just wait five minutes before following me.” Narcissa answered.

   “How will we know it’s safe after five minutes?” Pettigrew asked, looking concerned for his safety.

   “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure it’s safe. And if there is a real problem, I’ll floo back over right away and we can make a new plan” Narcissa replied, in a tone that left no room for doubt. 

   “So basically, we sneak in, free Andromeda, then sneak back out without alerting anyone to our presence? Sounds far too good to be true.” Sirius said, voicing all of their fears. 

   “It doesn’t matter. We’ll have to risk it. Andromeda’s freedom is worth anything.” Ted said, and Narcissa agreed. She’d face Voldemort herself if she had to in order to ensure her sister’s safety.


	32. A Slight Setback

Later that very day, the plan was put into action. Narcissa stood in front of the fireplace -- a handful of floo powder clenched in her fist -- and prepared to betray her parents, her people, and the Dark Lord all to ensure her sister’s freedom. And she didn’t doubt her decision for a single moment. 

   She was surrounded by the most unusual allies she could ever have imagined: James Potter and his family, blood traitors and Gryffindors; Sirius Black, the cousin who had betrayed her family; and Ted Tonks and Lily Evans, mudbloods with extraordinarily kind and brave hearts. 

   “We will rescue my sister. Follow me in five minutes.” she said, solemn and sure, before tossing her powder into the fire and announcing, “Malfoy Manor!” She disappeared in a flare of green smoke. 

   She stumbled out the other end directly into Lucius’s arms. 

   Despite her shock, she clung fiercely to her fiance. “Lucius, what’s happened?” she whispered, fearing the very worst. 

   “Our Lord has decided to host a party. Late into the night.” Lucius replied, also at a whisper. 

   “What? Why?” Narcissa demanded, cold rushing through her heart. 

   “He plans to transport those to be marked to the location of the ceremony at daybreak for further festivities before the night of the full moon. He is… celebrating his gains.” Lucius explained. 

   Narcissa had to close her eyes for a moment to lament her absolutely terrible luck. Of all the possible circumstances. “We cannot possibly sneak anyone out of here while the Dark Lord is awake.” 

   Lucius smiled grimly. “Even worse. We cannot sneak anyone in either while my  _ Father  _ is awake. While conscious, he knows exactly who is in his Manor and where, as I explained to you before. I had hoped for him to be asleep and unaware, but that has not turned out to be the case.” 

   “Shit.” Narcissa whispered, just once, because the situation warranted a bit of vulgarity. 

   “My sentiments exactly, Love.” Lucius agreed, leaning their foreheads together, “Whatever will we do?” 

   Narcissa, of course, was already formulating a plan. “First of all, I need to return and inform my allies of this development. I told them to follow after five minutes unless I returned.” 

   “Of course.” Lucius said, kissing her cheek and running to get the floo powder. 

   As she took some powder and prepared to travel yet again, Narcissa said, “You will wait here for me. I will return within ten minutes. I have a plan.” 

   “You do?” Lucius asked, looking concerned. 

   Narcissa smirked, “Most certainly.” She then stepped forward, announcing her destination, and once again stepped into the fire. 


	33. Frantic Preparations

Narcissa’s return to the Potter household was noted immediately with great concern by everyone she had recently left, all of whom were staring intently at the fireplace, fearing this very circumstance. 

   Many different reactions were displayed by those present. Lily and Mrs. Potter immediately rushed to Narcissa’s side, while James, his Father, and Sirius uttered various verbal expressions of frustration. Sirius added to this by kicking the sofa. Pettigrew looked even more fearful than usual. Ted, however, merely dropped his face to his hands, weighed down by the knowledge that Narcissa’s return meant horrible things for the love of his life. 

   “What’s happened?” Lily was the first to ask. Narcissa was proud. That’s women, always getting to the point of things far before men even have the chance to relieve their anger. 

   “The Dark Lord has decided to throw a party in honor of his victory. The very victory we were hoping to avert.” Narcissa explained, as quickly as possible. 

   “God _ damn _ it.” Sirius said, throwing his head back in frustration. 

   There were many mutters of discontent, but Narcissa was already grabbing more floo powder. 

   “Where on earth are you going?” asked Lily, one of few to register Narcissa’s actions in the wake of this news. 

   Lily’s exclamation, however, drew every eye in the room to Cissy. “I am going home to dress for a party. Lily and Sirius will accompany me.” 

   “Home?” demanded James, “Won’t your parents be there?” 

   Narcissa smiled wryly. “No. They’re at the Dark Lord’s party. My father is a Death Eater, in case anyone has forgotten.” 

   The lack of responses indicated that no one had forgotten. For a moment no one moved, but as Narcissa threw a handful of powder into the fire preparing to leave yet again, LIly and Sirius rushed into action, scrambling to follow her lead. All three departed for Black Manor in quick succession. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Upon her arrival, Narcissa immediately started for her room, followed by her two companions. “Slinky!” Narcissa yelled, calling one of their House Elves, immediately upon her arrival in her room. 

   “I need the fanciest dress in my collection. Bring two more elves with you to help me into it quickly.” Narcissa ordered the elf. 

   “Yes, Mistress.” Slinky said, immediately disappearing to carry out her orders. 

   “What is going on, Cissy?” Sirius asked, while they waited for the elves to return. 

   “I promised Lucius I would return within ten minutes.” Narcissa explained, “We have no time to wait.” 

   “That doesn’t explain what on earth you’re thinking!” Lily exclaimed. “You’re planning on attending the Dark Lord’s party? For what end?” 

   “I need to find a way to incapacitate Lucius’s father before we can continue with our plans. We will also need to know the scope of the party so that we can work around it.” Narcissa told them, still rather cryptically. 

   “Lord Malfoy?” said Sirius, “How do you plan to accomplish that?” 

   “I will figure out the particulars later. For right now, I am going to need you to retrieve something from my father’s office. The wards should still allow you in. You carry our blood still. I need my father’s stash of Dreamless Sleep potion. Do you remember where he keeps them?” 

   “Yes. I’ll go get it right now.” Sirius said, rushing out of the room. 

   Almost immediately after he left, the elves returned with a gorgeous gown made of luxurious plum colored fabric. “Wonderful.” Narcissa said, immediately stripping out of her current clothes. The elves and Lily rushed to help her change. 

   “Lily, I’m going to need you to explain the plan to the others.” Narcissa said, as they laced up her dress in the back and made sure everything was lined up properly. 

   Lily stopped messing with Narcissa’s hair and let one of the elves take over at Narcissa’s words. “You haven’t even told  _ me  _ the plan yet!” 

   “I’m about to.” Narcissa said, as the elves moved on to her makeup as well as her hair. “I’m going to attend Voldemort’s party with Lucius and learn as much as I can. After I’ve put Lucius’s father to sleep, I’ll alter the wards for all of you and then return to the Potter’s to bring you all with me. We will sneak down to the dungeons while Lucius distracts the Dark Lord and we will free Andromeda. I just need you to explain this plan to the others and then wait for my return. And prepare to remove Andromeda from the dungeons as quickly and quietly as possible.” 

   The elves finished, and Narcissa dismissed them after glancing at her reflection in a floor length mirror and deeming it satisfactory. 

   “There are a lot of things that could go wrong with that plan, Cissy.” Lily said, wringing her hands. 

   “We will be fine. I can handle these people. They are, after all, my own.” Narcissa said, and with that they waited in grim silence for Sirius to return. 

   He burst back in shortly after, proudly brandishing a beaker labelled simply, “Dreamless Sleep.” 

   “Got it.” he said, slightly out of breath. 

   “Lovely. Thank you.” Narcissa said, grabbing it from him and then moving to rustle through a drawer in her dresser until she found what she was looking for: a smaller vial into which she poured a good amount of the potion -- enough to knock out an adult for several hours -- and hiding the vial in her cleavage. 

   At the others’ quizzical looks, Narcissa said, “I have perfect reason to object to anyone searching there.” 

   She quickly scooped up her wand from where it had been deposited during the process of changing her clothes, and stored it somewhere on her person. “We must get back. I have to go return to the Manor as quickly as possible. 

   The others did not question her, they merely followed her back downstairs and into the fire back to the Potter’s house. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Upon their arrival, the others all stood, waiting expectantly for explanation or direction. 

   “I have no time to explain. Just be prepared.” Narcissa said to the group. She handed the beaker containing the rest of the Dreamless Sleep back to Sirius. “Keep this for me; in the case that I need it later I will find a way to return for it.” 

   With those words, and the trust that Lily would explain everything to the others sufficiently, Narcissa again departed for Malfoy Manor, pushing down nausea at her fifth floo trip of the evening. 


	34. The Dark Lord's Gathering

Lucius was pacing nervously upon Narcissa’s return to Malfoy Manor. His face lit up as he rushed to her. “There you are, Precious. That was nearly fifteen minutes.” 

   Clinging to his arms, Narcissa said, “Sorry, I should have estimated higher. But I’m back now. And I have a plan. I’m going to need you to follow my lead.” 

   The blonde man smiled. “As if I ever had another option, Precious.” 

   “I have a vial of Dreamless Sleep. We need to infiltrate the Dark Lord’s party and find a way to get your father to drink it, and remove him from the room so that no one suspects anything. I think I know a way to do it, but I’ll need to improvise once I get a feel for the situation.” Narcissa explained. 

   “Ah, no wonder you look so very lovely. We shall be attending the Dark Lord’s greatest celebration of the year.” Lucius said. 

   “And we will trick him so thoroughly that he’ll have no reason to suspect us at all.” 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   As they made there way to the Ballroom, Narcissa on Lucius’s arm, Lucius warned Narcissa of just what she was about to walk into. “This will be a far more subdued affair than any Society Gathering you’ve ever attended. The Dark Lord is very menacing. It will be very difficult for any moves to go unnoticed by him.” 

   “I have a plan.” Narcissa repeated. “Tell me, Severus Snape is in attendance, is he not?” 

   “Yes. Why?” 

   “I need his advice.” Narcissa said, and with that they arrived at the doors to the Ballroom. 

   “I told my Father I was inviting you to the party in order to leave the room in the first place.” Lucius said, “So there will be no excuses needed there.” 

  There was nothing else for it other than to go in. Narcissa merely nodded, and then they did just that. 

   As they entered, almost every eye in the room turned to them. The whispers began immediately after. Then came the words, “Ah, I see the lovely Narcissa Black has joined us. How wonderful to meet you at last, my dear.” They were spoken in the coldest, emptiest, and most terrifying voice Narcissa had ever heard in her life. And they came from a breathtakingly handsome dark haired man seated on a throne on a raised dais who seemed to radiate magic and power. His voice seemed to shiver with magic as well. This was Lord Voldemort. 

   And as these words were spoken, everyone else in the rather large room fell silent, except for a snake that twined around the Dark Lord’s throne, who hissed malevolently at no one in particular. Voldemort moved absently to pet her as his gaze burned into Narcissa’s soul. 

   As she tried desperately to think of a response, Narcissa took in the atmosphere. She could hardly believe she was standing in the same room where she had once attended a posh Society Gathering. The lighting was dim and the people all wore dark colored clothes, many of the men dressed in Death Eater’s robes. The only music was soft, dark piano, played by what appeared to be a muggle under the Imperious curse. Still no one dared to speak, and Narcissa took note that not a single person in the room appeared relaxed, save for the Dark Lord himself, who appeared to be exactly in his element. Voldemort’s Dark Mark hung over the room, just in case anyone had managed to miss the nature of the gathering. 

   “I couldn’t possibly miss the party once I’d learned of it, my Lord.” Narcissa finally managed to reply, with a deep curtsy. 

  She began discreetly scanning the room for people she knew. She saw Rose, Ms. Zabini, and the other Death Eaters’ Wives lounging rather tensely on sofas placed in one corner, all holding wine that they were not drinking. They were all watching Narcissa with more than a little alarm. 

   She spotted Severus as well, ensconced in another corner, entirely on his own, but standing this time, allowing no one to see him in a weak position. He was also watching her, but with less emotion showing on his face. 

   She saw her parents as well, standing in a group of high ranking Death Eaters a bit closer to the Lord, including Lucius’s parents and Rose’s husband Cassius. She could not read any of their expressions.

   Finally, Bellatrix was there with her husband and their friends. She was the only one smiling, though it was a rather manic smile, much closer to a grimace. 

   The Dark Lord’s handsome face twisted into an expression resembling amusement, but drained of all it’s warmth. “In that case, I am glad that Lucius invited you. I’m sure he couldn’t bear to spend another minute away from his betrothed.” 

   Narcissa could see in that moment that Voldemort had information that she did not, and she was also aware that he was purposefully lording it over her. She had no idea, however, what it was that he knew. 

   This scared her very much. 

   All she could do, however, was bow her head low in submission and say, “Yes, my Lord. It is true that I also miss him very much when we are apart.” 

  “I’m sure.” was all the Dark Lord said in reply. With that he looked away from her, releasing her from the intensity of his gaze, and the various groups of people returned to their tense whispered conversations. 

   Narcissa took this to mean that she was dismissed for the moment, and her assumption was confirmed when Lucius began to lead her further into the room. She began steering him immediately toward where her friends lounged in one corner of the room. They would need to keep up the pretense of normalcy for a while to draw suspicion off of them when they put their plan into motion, and the cover of the Death Eaters’ Wives would give her the chance to finish forming her plan, which -- quite frankly -- she had lied about having fully formed. 

   Rose stood to hug her as they approached. “Narcissa, darling, I’m so glad you could make it.” she said, but her tone suggested that she was rather worried about her, and Narcissa was touched by it. 

   “I’m pleased to be here. Luckily, Lucius informed me of the party early enough for me to get ready.”  she replied, sitting on the sofa next to Rose while Lucius remained standing. 

   Narcissa sent him a glance over her shoulder indicating that she would like to speak to Rose as privately as possible, and Lucius immediately drew the other women into polite conversation. Normally, Rose would have commented on the couple’s growing closeness, but given the circumstances, she decided it was much more prurient to get right to the point. 

   Rose immediately turned her back to the other women, cutting them off from their conversation. “You’re here to rescue your sister, aren’t you?” she whispered. 

   Narcissa was shocked, but she didn’t let it show on her face. “How did you know?” she asked, very calmly. 

   “Cassius told me that the Dark Lord was bragging about how he captured her for Marking. He has several prisoners to mark as well as the willing new recruits. He gave his inner circle a rather dramatic speech about how he plans to take them to this Graveyard at daybreak and keep them tied up while he prepares things for the full moon. Merlin, Narcissa, I was afraid you’d try something like this.” Rose explained at a whisper, keeping one eye on their surroundings. Narcissa hated to see how subdued her usually bubbly friend was in such an environment. The air itself felt dangerous. 

   “Don’t worry, Rose, I have a plan.” Narcissa said, for what she felt was the thousandth time. 

   Rose studied her for a moment, worry etched into her face, before nodding slightly and saying, “Is there any way I can help?” 

   Narcissa was shaking her head almost immediately. “I can’t get you involved in this. If we’re found out it could ruin you and your husband. You could be killed.” 

   “You’re my best friend. I would risk anything for you, and you would risk anything for your sister. Tell me how I can help.” Rose insisted. 

   Narcissa intended to resist further, but the look Rose gave her as she started to open her mouth stopped her in her tracks. The woman looked positively and completely determined. 

   “Rose.” Narcissa said, hoping to convey her reluctance to endanger her friend in just that one word. 

   Almost comically, Rose merely repeated her words from long ago: “We dark haired women have to stick together.” 

   Even more comically, there was absolutely no way Narcissa could argue. “We’re going to need to remove Lucius’s father from the room through means that may be slightly shocking. You can help by diverting as much attention as possible from these events when they occur. Get the people around you talking about something else as quickly as possible, no matter where you are, and hopefully the rest of the crowd will follow your lead.” 

   Rose looked as if she were hoping for a more helpful way to help, but she nodded and said, “I can certainly do that, darling. Parkinson women are known for being skilled at conversation.” 

   Narcissa allowed this attempt at levity without commenting that Rose was not technically a Parkinson by birth, and merely hugged her friend again, grateful that she wanted to help even if she couldn’t do anything more. 

   They were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a House Elf. Once he had their attention, the elf said, “Would the mistresses be liking anything to drink?” and held out a tray with two glasses of wine. Both girls took one, and as she was doing so, Narcissa came upon an idea so suddenly that she almost dropped hers. 

   The elf disappeared, and Narcissa still could not believe how perfect her idea was. Rose looked at her intently. “Narcie, what is it?” 

   Narcissa met her eyes, and said, “I know exactly what I’m going to do. Lucius and I have to go.”  

   She rested a hand gently on her friend’s arm for just a moment before standing casually and leaning to whisper in Lucius’s ear as if she were merely making a loving comment to her fiance, “Is Dobby the elf working this party?”

   If Lucius was confused he did not betray it. He merely played along with her game, leaning sensually to whisper back to her, “All the elves are working tonight. Why?” 

   She whispered back, “He likes me. He’ll help us. Come on.” She took Lucius’s arm and began leading him away, like lovers escaping for a private chat, but instead of leading him to an empty corner of the room, she took him instead to the one occupied by Severus Snape, who thankfully was still alone. 


	35. Help from a Potion's Master and a House Elf

As the couple approached him, Severus broke into one of his rare, careful smiles. 

   While Narcissa embraced him rather formally, he said, “While it is not safe for you to be here, Cissy, I’m still quite glad to see you.” 

   “Me too, Sev.” she said. 

   “What brings you to my corner of the party?” he asked, quietly magnanimous. 

   “I actually had a potions question.” Narcissa informed him. 

   He raised an eyebrow in expectation. 

   “What does Dreamless Sleep do when mixed with wine?” she asked. 

   He just stared for a moment. “Cissy, what is this for?”

   Narcissa shared a look with Lucius, clearly debating how much to tell him. While Narcissa’s eyes told Lucius that she trusted Severus completely, Lucius’s were filled with hesitation. They emerged from the moment with a mutual decision to tell him  _ some  _ but not  _ all.  _

   She explained quickly. “We need Lucius’s father to sleep through the remainder of this party, and the only way I can think of to get Dreamless Sleep into his system is to add it to something else he’s drinking.”

   To his credit, Severus did not ask many questions, only, “How much do you have?” 

   “I completely filled a 1.5 Ounce vial.” Narcissa answered quickly. 

   “That should be plenty. Mixed with alcohol, the potion’s effects will be delayed, and the combination of both substances will cause side effects such as nausea and dizziness. Dreamless Sleep does have a rather distinct flavour, but luckily for you it is clear and has no smell. Added to the volume of an ordinary wine glass -- such as the ones used at this party -- slightly less than half an ounce should be undetectable to all but the best trained experts, and even if Lord Malfoy had qualified as one he’s had enough to drink tonight already that he should remain completely oblivious.” Severus answered, subtly showing off the knowledge he’d gained earning his Mastery. 

   Narcissa could not believe her good fortune: not only would her plan work, but Lord Malfoy and everyone around him would most likely just think he was sick, and Narcissa and Lucius could step in as his loving son and future daughter-in-law to “help” him from the room and care for him. It gave all three of them a perfect excuse to be absent from the party for an indefinite amount of time. “Thank you, Sev,” Narcissa said, hugging him yet again in relief, “You truly are a genius. An incredibly useful one at that.” 

   Sev just smiled softly, “Glad to be of service.” 

   “Now I must go. Take care of yourself, Dear Friend.” Narcissa said. Then, to Lucius, “You should stay here for now and continue speaking with Severus while I use the loo. I’ll be back very shortly.”

   They exchanged a significant glance. Lucius knew that Narcissa was putting some sort of plan into action, but he did not know the particulars of that plan. The fact that he decided to remain behind while she left displayed both his knowledge that both of them leaving at the same time would be far more suspicious, and his trust in her abilities and strengths. 

   Narcissa was deeply grateful for both. 

   With one last smile and nod she took her leave, heading, as she said, toward the hallway leading to the private family section of the Manor -- whose wards let her through eagerly -- and then into a loo she was certain would be empty. 

   After locking the door and putting up a Silencing spell, Narcissa whispered, “Dobby.” and it was only a second before the elf appeared before her, dressed in his best pillowcase and holding a tray which displayed a single glass of wine. 

   If Dobby was confused by their surroundings he did not show it. “How can Dobby be helping Mistress Narcissa?” 

   Narcissa hesitated. She knew she would need to tread lightly to convince Dobby to plot against his Master, but she also remembered how terribly Lucius’s father treated his elves. She believed that she could convince Dobby to help as long as she managed to explain the situation correctly. 

   “Dobby, I know that Master Abraxas is not very kind to you.” she began, measuring Dobby’s response to her words carefully. 

   At her silence the elf said, “Oh, please, don’t be making Dobby speak badly of his Master.” 

   “Oh, no no, of course not.” Narcissa said quickly, not wanting the elf to go into hysterics before she could even complete her request. “I only mentioned it because he and the Dark Lord have been treating my sister, Andromeda, very badly as well, and I was hoping you could help me save her.” 

   “Mistress is wanting Dobby’s help saving her sister who is being harmed by Dobby’s Master?” Dobby asked, looking absolutely terrified, the poor thing, so Narcissa continued to explain. 

   “We wouldn’t be hurting your Master at all, I promise. I only need him to sleep for a while so I can rescue my sister without him noticing. Please, Dobby, can you help me?” Narcissa continued, demonstrating clearly that she was not above begging for the assistance of a house elf. 

   Dobby hesitated before answering, and Narcissa nearly felt her heart stop: this was her only plan and she had no idea what she’d do if Dobby refused. But then, after a few excruciating seconds, Dobby said, “Dobby will help Mistress Narcissa. What is Dobby needing to be doing?” 

   Narcissa finally exhaled. “Thank you, Dobby. Narcissa… I mean  _ I  _ need you to bring Lord Malfoy a glass of wine mixed with Dreamless Sleep. Can I have the one on that tray there?” 

   Dobby nodded, so Narcissa grabbed the glass, retrieved her vial, and poured just a little less than ⅓ of it into the glass, and swirled it to mix together the substances. She was grateful to see that Severus was right: the potion was clear and had no smell, and she had added so little that the volume in the glass was relatively unchanged. She inspected it closely to make absolutely certain, then placed it gently back onto Dobby’s tray. “I just need you to give this glass to Master Abraxas, alright?” 

   “Dobby can be doing that, Mistress Narcissa. Dobby will be going right now.” Dobby answered. 

   “Thank you, so very much.” Narcissa repeated, unable to contain her gratitude. 

   Right before Dobby disappeared, however, Narcissa remembered something. “Wait!” she said, causing Dobby to stop and say, “Yes, Mistress?” 

   “I forbid you from punishing yourself for giving this potion to your Master, or for blaming yourself for anything that happens to him tonight.” Narcissa said, hoping she wasn’t missing some sort of loophole. 

   “Thank you, Mistress.” Dobby said, then disappeared without another word. 

   Narcissa turned to the mirror the moment Dobby was gone, and studied her reflection. She took a deep breath. Her plan was working so far, but she needed to be entirely composed when she re-entered the party. She gave herself one more moment, then turned to the door, took down her Silencing spell, unlocked the door, and made her way calmly back to the party. 


	36. Dreamless Sleep

When she arrived back at the Ballroom, Narcissa found Lucius still standing with Severus, making small talk about potions and dark spells. She smiled at her best friend, and took Lucius’s arm. He gave her a questioning look, and Narcissa just nodded, as if to say, “It’s done.” 

   A moment later, during a lull in conversation, Narcissa said, “We should go visit with your Mother. I haven’t spoken to her since our engagement.” She made sure she was loud enough for the nearest group of guests to hear her. 

   “That is a lovely idea, Precious. I’m sure she’s eager to have someone with whom she can discuss wedding plans and the like.” Lucius responded. 

   They said their goodbyes to Severus, then made their way to the front of the room where the Dark Lord’s inner circle of supporters were holding court. On their way over, Narcissa noted Lord Malfoy finishing his current glass of wine, and calling for another, which Dobby -- as per the plan -- eagerly provided to him. There would be only minutes before the potion began to take effect. 

   Once she noticed their approach, Lady Malfoy excused herself from her current conversation and said, “Ah, my dear children, there you are. Narcissa, child, I have been waiting to speak with you all night. We simply must discuss the wedding.” 

   Narcissa cheered internally at how well things were falling into place. “I have been eager to speak with you as well, Lady Malfoy. I’m sure my fiance has been completely useless as far as assistance in planning.” She winked at Lucius to make certain he knew she was only teasing. 

   Lady Malfoy’s eyes sparkled with mischief, “He hasn’t been entirely useless… he’s finally brought me a fellow  _ woman  _ who can sympathise in my love for the more elegant things in life.” 

   “Mother, I will have you know that I have much respect for elegance. I simply ooze elegance.” Lucius said, mock offended. 

   Lady Malfoy smirked. “I must say that I am forced to agree with you, given that the only true measure of a man’s respect for elegance is his choice of partner, and you, my son, have chosen quite well.” 

   Narcissa was flattered. She also had great respect for anyone who measured  _ husbands  _ by the quality of their  _ wives _ rather than the other way around. “I thank you very much, Lady Malfoy.” she said, with a curtsey. 

   The older blonde-haired woman only grinned. “You see, son? She proves herself worthy of my fondness everyday, and I cannot keep myself from thinking better of you because of it. Therefore, you have not been entirely  _ useless _ .” 

   Narcissa laughed fondly at her future mother-in-law’s wit. “So shall we begin with the guest list? I assume the venue will be  _ here _ , so that matter needs no deciding.” 

   Octavia Malfoy displayed her great affection for the initiative shown by her son’s fiance by taking the girl by the arm and leading her a bit closer to the high-ranking Death Eater crowd. They were already discussing seating arrangements and politics by the time Lucius caught up to them. 

   Narcissa took great care to seem deeply intrigued by her conversation with Lady Malfoy, while still keeping one eye on the Lord of the manor. She was just beginning to worry that she hadn’t added enough Dreamless Sleep when Lucius’s father began to sway in place. People began to back away from him in concern, as he looked like he might fall over any moment. 

   Lucius walked quickly over to his father, and taking his arms, said, “Father, are you alright?” 

   He looked gravely concerned, and Narcissa had to admire his acting. If she hadn’t been in the know she would’ve had absolutely no idea. She exchanged a concerned look with Lady Malfoy. 

   Lord Malfoy was looking woozier by the second. “What? Yes, I’m fine, I’m just…” With that, he dropped his wine glass, and Lucius had to lower him carefully to the floor. 

   The women looked at each other, and, to Narcissa’s amusement, Lady Octavia seemed entirely convinced that nothing more was wrong with her husband than a bit too much to drink.

    “I’ll go help Lucius deal with this situation; you stay here and hold down the fort.” Narcissa whispered conspiratorially. 

   The Lady of the Manor nodded quickly. “Brilliant plan. You will be quite an asset to this family, my child.” 

   With that, Narcissa walked calmly over to where her fiance was desperately struggling to keep his father awake until they could get him out of the room. She sunk down beside Lucius, and whispered, “Do you think we’ll have to carry him out of here?” 

   “I’ve got an idea. Father!” Lucius said, smacking his father’s arm twice. 

   Lord Malfoy gained consciousness enough to open his eyes. 

   “You need to stand, Lord Malfoy, and get out of this room.” Narcissa said, as gently as she could, with a quick glance up at The Dark Lord where he sat on his throne, watching them all in idle amusement. 

  Lucius’s father was aware enough to know at whom she looked without having to follow her gaze. 

   “Can you stand?” she asked again. 

   He seemed to nod a bit, so Lucius and Narcissa took this as permission to haul him to his feet, sling one of his arms around each of their shoulders, and hurry him to the closest door. 

   Once they had him out in the hallway, they moved a bit slower, but not much: Narcissa wanted to finish what she’d came here for and then get out as quickly as possible. Without a single word passing between then, they began to make their way towards the Family Quarters, passing ward after ward, all of which welcoming Narcissa with open arms. 

   Finally, Lucius used his free arm to throw open the door to a sitting room. They unceremoniously dumped Lord Malfoy onto a sofa and stood stretching their strained muscles. 

   “I… I don’t know what’s happening to me… I feel…” said Lord Malfoy from his place on the sofa. 

   As Lucius knelt down beside his father, Narcissa turned around and pulled out the vial of Dreamless Sleep.    
   “We’re very sorry to have to do this, Father.” Lucius said, and as Lord Abraxas opened his mouth to question this absurd statement, Narcissa poured the last of the Dreamless Sleep down his throat.

   The moment he was completely out, Narcissa took a breath of relief and pulled out her wand. 

   “What are you doing?” asked Lucius. 

  “We need to Obliviate him. Otherwise he will know that we’ve done this to him.” she explained, calmly. 

   “What if you erase his entire mind?” 

   “I will not. I learned this spell from Severus Snape, and he is the best Legilimens of our generation.” Narcissa argued. 

   “So now he’s a Potion’s Master, a Legilimens, and a Memory expert?” Lucius looked almost angry. 

   “He’s also my best friend, so watch your mouth Lucius Malfoy, Your father will be fine. If we don’t erase just the last few seconds from his mind, he will turn us in to the Dark Lord and we will both die excruciatingly painful deaths for our treachery. Is that what you want?” Narcissa argued, determined to win this one for his and her own safety. 

   Lucius didn’t say anything in response, but he did close his eyes for a moment, tilt his head up, and take a step back. When he opened his eyes again, she raised his eyebrows at him, and he responded with a gesture meant to convey, “Go ahead, then.” 

   Narcissa turned to hide her smile as she approached her future Father-in-law. She took a moment to steady her thoughts, then a deep breath, and then cast, “ _ Obliviate.”  _

   When nothing terrible immediately happened, she cast a superior look at her fiance who looked sheepish. 

   “Believe in me next time, right, Darling?” she said, and he only shook his head with a grin that spoke of nothing but fondness. 

   “I suppose it’s time to go let an inordinate amount of Gryffindors into my house, then, isn’t it?” he said, and Narcissa laughed in amusement. 


	37. The Rescue Begins

After a trip, which they hurried as much as possible while remaining stealthy, the two of them again stood before the fireplace. Lucius was casting an elaborate spell to adjust the wards, which to Narcissa was just a bunch of Latin followed by the names of every person they wished to let in. 

   As she stared into the fireplace waiting for him to finish, Narcissa allowed herself a moment to appreciate that, while their plans had gone without a hitch up to this point, the night was far from finished. 

  The moment Lucius said the last word and lowered his wand, Narcissa turned to him and said, “I guess I’ll just go through and get the lot of them then.” 

   Lucius nodded. “I’ll stay here and keep tabs on everyone at the party. With my father incapacitated, I become the technical ‘Lord’ of the Manor, and can sense the whereabouts of everyone here. If my mother decides to go check on us before I can get back in there…” 

   Narcissa nodded in understanding. “I’ll try to hurry.” 

   With that, she grabbed some floo powder and was on her way once again. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Everyone was gathered in the Sitting room. No one was even pretending to be occupied by a book or a project; some were pacing, some were nervously fidgeting, but all were focused entirely on the fireplacing awaiting her arrival. 

   The moment she appeared, Sirius stood and said, “What took you so long?” 

   Narcissa almost laughed. “I told you the Dark Lord was hosting a gathering tonight, yes? Well, that gathering is much larger than we expected. Every single Death Eater is present, and if they’re not, they’re setting up some sort of dark ritual at the site of the Marking. We don’t have long, so I’ll have to explain rather quickly.” 

   As she looked from face to face, the one common denominator was determination. All at once she was intensely grateful that her dear sister had so very many people who cared so very much about her. “I needed to make sure Lucius’s father was incapacitated, because while he is awake, he is aware of each and every person within his manor. Long story short, I convinced a house elf that has taken a liking to me to smuggle Dreamless Sleep into Lord Malfoy’s wine, and then Lucius and I dragged him away, gave him the rest of the potion, and  _ obliviated  _ him.” 

    James looked rather impressed, despite himself. 

   “I knew we had to have more than blood in common, Cissy.” Sirius said, sounding quite proud. 

   “So, we’re in the clear? No one will know that we’re in the manor?” Lily asked. 

   Narcissa shook her head slightly, “Well, Lucius is the acting Lord since his father is incapacitated, so he will know when we arrive and when we leave.” 

   “But we can  _ trust  _ him.” she added, at the looks of trepidation she received. “He helped us get this far, didn’t he? 

   The Gryffindors didn’t look entirely convinced, but they couldn’t exactly argue with her logic. 

   What really made up their minds, however, was when Ted said, “It doesn’t matter who he is. He loves Narcissa, only a fool would doubt that after all he’s done. And if he helps us save Andromeda, I don’t care if he’s the son of Voldemort himself.” 

   No arguments were made to the contrary. 

   “So, what’s the plan, now, exactly?” asked Mr. Potter. 

   “Lucius has already altered the wards to allow each of you inside. He is waiting for us on the other side as we speak. Once we’re all in, we will head down to the Dungeons to free Andromeda, and Lucius will return to the party to throw off suspicion. Hopefully, everything after that will go off without a hitch.” Narcissa stated, far more confidently than she felt. 

   “Something terrible is going to happen, I just know it.” said Peter Pettigrew, then, at the disbelieving looks he received, “Plans that sound simple never go that way in practice.” 

   “We’ll be fine, Wormtail. We can’t think that way, not right before we walk in there.” James said, bumping his shoulder. 

   Although the other boy appeared to remain unconvinced, he made no more comments on the matter. 

   “We will be fine.” Narcissa reassured, “We just need to remain focused on our goal, and hopefully we’ll be gone before anyone even knows we were there.” 

   Sirius handed Narcissa the bowl of floo powder, took a handful for himself, and said, “She’s right. We can do this, and we will. So take your floo powder, people, and let’s get this show on the road.” 

   With that, they each stepped forward, grabbed some powder from the bowl, and headed through the fireplace one by one. Not one of them hesitated, even for a moment. 


	38. To The Dungeons

The moment they began arriving, Lucius spun around, the worry on his face visible to no one but Narcissa. She stepped into his arms immediately, and they held each other for a moment before stepping back. Lucius kept his arm around her waist, though. Once everyone had assembled, he addressed them, “Please be careful. We all would like to accomplish this mission with the least possible number of complications. I will stay at the party, telling everyone that Narcissa has chosen to stay with my father to explain her absence, but if she’s gone for longer than half an hour people will begin to get suspicious. Love, you know the way to the dungeons?” 

   Narcissa just nodded. 

   “Good. My fiance will lead you all to the prisoner. Lastly, I must urge you to leave any other prisoners in the dungeons alone. The Dark Lord will be furious enough as it is; he will not be able to contain his rage if every prisoner disappears. I must return to the party, so I will be taking my leave. Goodbye, my precious.” he pressed a kiss to Narcissa’s hair, made some sort of formal bow to the rest, and then unceremoniously exited the room. 

   There was silence for a moment. Then Sirius said, “I see now that we cannot doubt that he loves Cissy, but I do think I’ve uncovered several other flaws in his personality, just during the course of that diatribe.” 

   “I do think you’re right, Padfoot. This could be made useful, if you didn’t love your dear cousin so very much, that is.” James added. 

   Lily glared at both of them. Her message was clear: not the best time. They fell silent. 

   Narcissa gave it a moment to ensure no one else had anything to say. “We’re going to need to be quiet. Who knows what kinds of unsavory characters may have wandered from the ballroom.” 

   Everyone nodded their agreement. “Right then, let’s go.” 

   Narcissa opened the door and led the way out of the room. She took the hallway that would lead her away from the ballroom; it was safe to say that away from the Dark Lord was a good place to start. Once she began walking, she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to feel which way was the correct path to the dungeons. Almost as if she had called upon it, the Manor began seemingly whispering directions into her mind, except it wasn’t like she heard a voice: she just instinctively knew which turns to make where. She somehow knew it was the Manor’s doing though. She could sense it. 

   Finally, they arrived at a warded door that Narcissa somehow knew guarded the staircase to the dungeons. She opened the door easily: it wasn’t locked, a building like the Manor had much better protections for its secrets, ones that couldn’t be broken through with a mere  _ Alohomora.  _

   She didn’t figure that Lucius’s spell earlier would get her guests through this ward as well, but decided she had to try before she took any drastic steps. “Lily, would you please try walking through this doorway?” 

   Her old friend stared at her in confusion for a moment, then sighed and said, “It’s warded, isn’t it? Is it gonna kill me if I can’t pass?” 

   Narcissa shook her head. “No. It’ll just throw you back. Maybe just reach out and try to touch it?” 

   Lily warily took her advice, moving forward until she stood directly before the doorway, and then tentatively reaching her arm out, testing for a repellent force. Sure enough: the moment her fingers were level with the doorframe, they met an invisible barrier. She was not harmed, but she certainly wasn’t getting through. 

   “Do you know how to alter them?” Ted asked, hopefully. 

   Narcissa just shrugged in resignation. 

   “Ask the Manor, the same way you’ve been asking for directions.” suggested Mr. Potter. 

   Narcissa furrowed her eyebrows. “I haven’t been. It’s just been telling me.” 

   “Oh, I think you’ll find that old buildings like these don’t give you much of anything without being asked. You have been asking, even if you haven’t realized it. Try to do it again.” Mr. Potter said. 

   Narcissa didn’t like disrespecting those with more knowledge than her, but she was having a hard time thinking of a way to politely tell James’s father that he made absolutely no sense. 

   She was about to do just that when Sirius said, “Perhaps just thinking about where to go was enough of a request for the Manor to respond. Why don’t you try thinking about how to get us through that barrier?” 

   She looked at him for a moment, and he looked away sheepishly. Her cousin never did anything sheepishly, so this was unusual behavior for him. She considered the matter, then realized that Sirius had grown up in Grimmauld Place, the Black family version of their current location. Perhaps he was ashamed to admit that his home had whispered things to him as well. 

   She took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll try it.” She closed her eyes and faced the door, and tried her hardest to imagine each of them walking through the ward and down to the dungeons. She tried to frame her thoughts as a question. The Manor mentally raised its eyebrows at her. 

   She had an idea of what that meant. Probably something along the lines of, “You know how to do that. Figure it out.” 

   She glanced toward the ceiling in exasperation, then turned around to face the others. “I think I remember the incantation Lucius used to allow you all into the Manor in the first place. I can attempt to replicate the spell, but it may not work.” 

   “It’s better than nothing. Let’s try it.” Ted said. Since he had the most invested in this plan out of all of them, they accepted his opinion without question. 

   Until the moment she tried it, Narcissa had severe doubts that her plan would work. But as she pointed her wand at the warded doorway and began the spell, she found that she somehow knew all the words. She found herself in a truce as she waved her wand and murmured in Latin, and it was only after she finished that she realized the Manor had provided her with the way to alter the wards after all. 

   Without a word, Lily reached out again to see if she could pass the ward, and sure enough: her arm passed through the doorway without resistance. After she realized her arm was through and still attached, Lily found the bravery to take a few steps forward, and once she was on the other side of the door, she turned to look back at Narcissa in wonder. In fact,  _ everyone  _ was looking at her, varying degrees of wonder painted on their faces. Narcissa, uncomfortable with the attention, merely said, “Let’s keep moving. We don’t have much time.” 

   As they began filing down the dark staircase, Narcissa in the lead, they all quietly cast  _ Lumos  _ so that they could see where they were going. It was still very dark, and it was because of this darkness -- and the fact that they could only see about 3 feet in front of them -- that they didn’t notice the Death Eaters until they were practically on top of them. 


	39. A Short Duel

There was a moment of silence as the two groups faced each other in shock, but it was broken when Rose’s husband Cassius -- who was in the lead of the group of Death Eaters -- said, “Narcissa?” eyes wide and confused as he took in the company she’d brought. 

   Narcissa looked at him, and as she did she realized she had only seconds. Without another thought, she leapt forward and pulled him against the wall of the narrow staircase, hoping her people would take her actions as the signal she’d intended. Sure enough, the moment she was out of the way, spells started flying, and her side prevailed only because they had the element of surprise. A chorus of  _ Stupify  _ and  _ Petrificus Totalus _ filled the air, and Narcissa spared a second of relief for the fact that The Order of the Phoenix was generally too moral to use lethal spells. 

   In just a few moments it was over, and Narcissa found herself staring at the unconscious bodies of people she’d known her entire life scattered down the staircase and into the dark. She then found herself saying, “We need to move them to the bottom of the stairs and  _ Obliviate  _ them.” 

   Her comrades moved to obey, but Cassius, who had been spared simply due to her obvious protection of him, just continued to stare at her in shock. “Narcissa?” he said again, and Narcissa had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. 

   She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the explanation of a lifetime: she couldn’t have him running off to the party to tell the Dark Lord what had just happened. In the end, all she could come up with was, “He has my sister. He can have me, but he can’t have my sister.” 

   Cassius continued to stare for just long enough that Narcissa began to wonder whether he was in shock, but then finally he sighed deeply and said, “ _ Merlin  _ Narcissa, you’re going to get us all killed.” 

   Narcissa felt a bit guilty. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to get involved in this.” 

   Cassius smiled a bit, and Narcissa knew they were alright. “No worries. Hey, does --” 

   “Yes, Lucius is in on it. I can’t tell you anymore of the plan, though. Rose knows a little, but nothing about what we’re doing now. Will you come with us? You can’t go back to the party, that’ll make the Dark Lord suspicious.” Narcissa said, in a hurry to get on with it. 

   Cassius looked conflicted for a moment, then said, “Yes, I’ll have to come with. If I return alone, the Dark Lord will start asking questions, and I’ll be forced to answer them. He’s a worthy Legilimens as well. We will only have roughly five minutes before the Dark Lord becomes suspicious anyway because we haven’t returned on schedule, but at least I can buy you a bit of time.” 

   That had Narcissa worried. If Cassius came with them and was caught by the Dark Lord there would be no doubt that he was in on her treachery. He was in the Inner Circle. Narcissa would be ruining his life. “If the Dark Lord comes, we’ll  _ Stupefy  _ you and add you to the pile, alright? I would hate for you to be harmed because of me.” 

   Cassius shrugged. “Alright. But you’re Rose’s best friend. If she knows about this and is willing to help you, then so am I. Now let’s go. We’re wasting valuable time.” 

   The two rushed down the stairs, and when they reached the bottom they found Narcissa’s companions gathered around a pile of unconscious Death Eaters. Narcissa tried not to look too closely at their faces in case she recognized anyone. “Are they  _ Obliviated _ ?” 

   “Yes.” Sirius said, they noticed Cassius still behind her, and glared at him in obvious mistrust. 

   “He’s alright. He’s Lucius’s best friend, and the husband of a close friend of mine.” Narcissa explained, quickly. 

   “He was with this lot.” James said, gesturing to the pile. 

   “We may serve the Dark Lord, but we still know the meaning of familial loyalty.” Cassius said, with a purposeful look at Sirius. 

   Sirius stepped forward, but James’s father grabbed his arm and shook his head. It took a second, but Sirius reined himself in. “I know loyalty. I am loyal to the family I’ve chosen, not the one who cast me away.” 

   The two stared at each other for a moment, then seemed to reach an understanding. They both nodded. That was that. 

   “Cassius says we have five minutes before the Dark Lord realizes something is amiss. If he shows up we add Cassius to that pile. Gently.” Narcissa instructed. Everyone nodded. “Did anyone check further into the dungeons, yet?” 

   Lily said, “I did. There’s another ward a few feet in.” 

   Brilliant. This would be another giant waste of time that they didn’t have. “Let’s have a look at it, then.” Narcissa sighed, moving past the group and walking into the darkness. 

   She felt the moment she passed the ward. She recognized the feeling of it, as well. This wasn’t like the ward on the doorway at the top of the staircase, or even like the one that kept unwanted guests from flooing in: this was like the wards she’d passed to get to the room of truth the night she became Lucius Malfoy’s fiance. They were meant to keep out everyone but family. There would be no allowing others to pass. Narcissa would have to continue alone. 

   She considered just how she would explain this to the others. “This is a ward meant to specifically exclude all except members of the Malfoy family. I cannot alter it to give you all access to the rest of the dungeons.” 

   “What’ll we do now?” asked Peter. 

   “How did he get through, then?” asked James, indicating Cassius. That was a good question. Narcissa turned to him inquisitively. 

   “Lord Malfoy can give people outside the family temporary access to the parts of the Manor protected by these wards. He gave our group access so that we could apparate in and out through the dungeons and prepare the site of the ceremony. Only the current Head of Household can alter these wards. I can’t even get back through; I’ve done what I’ve been given access to do.” Cassius explained, defending himself calmly. 

   Everyone seemed to deflate. They’d gotten so close, they couldn’t possibly give up now. 

   “So that’s it? It’s over?” Ted asked, seeming distraught already. 

   Narcissa took a deep breath. “Not exactly. These wards will allow me through. They have before. I will continue alone.” 

   There were immediate whispered protests of, “But Narcissa, that’s not safe!” 

   “It’s the only way. I will rescue my sister.” She looked at Ted. “I will bring her back. There’s no time to argue. If the Dark Lord arrives, you add Cassius to that pile and defend yourselves with everything you have. Just please don’t kill my family and friends.” 

   Despite her brave words, she hesitated a moment before continuing into the darkness alone. She was no Gryffindor, after all. 

   “Good luck, Cissy. Come back to us, alright?” Sirius said, and that affirmation from family was what she needed to spur her to action. 

   “I plan on it.” she said, and with that, she stepped past the wards into the dungeons. 


	40. A Reunion... And A Deal

The room she entered was lit by torches. There were cells on both sides of her, and between each one was a wall sconce lit by magic fire that never went out. There were no more guards: the Dark Lord must’ve been very confident in Lord Malfoy’s wards. There were many prisoners. Some looked like muggles, kept for torture or servitude, and some looked like low-ranking Death Eaters being punished for insubordination. Some looked like prisoners of war, though she didn’t recognize anyone. She checked each cell closely but quickly, searching for Andromeda. 

   Some of the prisoners appeared to have been in their cells for months, some for mere days. All looked depressed and despondent, beaten entirely into submission. Some quite literally. None tried to talk to her or plead for their release as she passed. The only sound was breathing. 

   At least, that was until she was nearing the far end of the dungeons. “Cissy?” a voice said, rough from either disuse or screams, but familiar just the same. 

   “Andromeda?” Narcissa said, searching the cells around her until, there! She saw her sister, arms shackled above her head in the back of her cell, hair matted and clothes filthy, but otherwise unharmed. “Andromeda!” Narcissa rushed toward her cell and immediately grabbed onto the bars. 

   At first, she couldn’t believe her eyes. After so long apart, she was finally looking into her sister’s eyes. Her sister was right in front of her, and she was so close to freeing her. “Oh, Narcissa, you have to get out of here!” Andromeda said in that same, scratchy voice, and reality crashed back in. 

   “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve come to rescue you.” Narcissa said, and immediately began searching for the way to open the cell. 

   “No, you don’t understand. Cissy, no one can open the door besides Lord Malfoy and the Dark Lord himself. No one else knows the spell.” Andromeda explained, clearly eager for Narcissa to leave her and the possibility of danger on her behalf. 

   “The Manor recognizes me as a part of the Malfoy family. This door will open. I will force it to.” Narcissa explained, stubborn as ever. 

   “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t make a difference. Only Lord Malfoy and the Dark Lord can open this door.” ‘Dromeda insisted. 

   “Lucius seemed to think I would be able to open this door, otherwise he wouldn’t have sent me down here alone.” Narcissa argued. 

   “Maybe he didn’t know.” Andromeda countered. Possibility? Of course it was. That didn’t mean Narcissa wasn’t going to try. 

   She grabbed the bars, closed her eyes, and imagined the doors opening and Andromeda walking out. The Manor was clear on it’s response to that: “No.” 

   She responded with a stronger picture, the telepathic version of “Why the Hell not?” 

   The Manor insisted. The Manor had not been built to allow anyone except the Lord to free prisoners. Lord Malfoy had done some sort of ritual to allow the Dark Lord to have the same power, but no, that same ritual could not be done in a short period of time, and not without Lord Malfoy present. 

   Narcissa was gearing up to try an even more forceful insistence that the door be opened when a terribly familiar voice from behind her said, “Well, well, well. Narcissa Black. I thought I sensed treachery in your mind the very moment I was introduced to you, but Lucius Malfoy vouched for you, so I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Such a pity that was a mistake.” 

   A spear of ice cleaved down Narcissa’s spine. She spun around very slowly, and sure enough, there was the Dark Lord’s eerily handsome and icily blank face staring right at her, smirking in amusement that didn’t reach his eyes. 

   “My Lord.” she said. 

   “Save it.” the Dark Lord turned to Andromeda. Narcissa twitched as if she’d move in front of her, but stopped herself at the last moment. Her reflex, however, did not go unnoticed by Lord Voldemort. “Ah. Your dear older sister, Andromeda. You’ve come to rescue her, I see. Couldn’t get into the cell, could you?” 

   That was when she knew. The Dark Lord had caught on to her plan. She didn’t know how or when, she just knew that he had purposefully allowed her to get so close to her sister, knowing there was no possible way she could open the cell door. That was when she realized that Lord Voldemort was completely and truly the cruelest soul alive, if you could even really call him that. 

   “This was your plan all along.” she said, rather more defiantly than she’d thought she’d manage. 

   The Dark Lord laughed. “Don’t worry. Your darling friend Rose and your fiance didn’t turn you in. Neither did the clever Severus Snape. Nor the poor house elf you roped into your scheme. I merely read your mind the moment you walked into my ballroom. It has been fun watching this all play out.” he began pacing comfortably. 

   Narcissa realized at that moment that she had put all of these people in danger, had made a thousand promises she couldn’t keep, and had gone to all this trouble for absolutely nothing. She had lost before she had even put her pieces on the board. It was a terrible, terrible feeling after the euphoria of seeing her sister again after so long. “Please don’t punish them. I beg of you. This was all my fault.” 

   “Oh, I know that. You created this scheme and convinced all these people to help you. You brought members of the Order of the Phoenix into the home of the Malfoys, who have very nearly welcomed you into their family. All out of loyalty to your sister. Misplaced loyalty, because it has all been for naught. It’s too bad. It was a very clever plan.” drawled the Dark Lord. 

   Narcissa considered her options. She didn’t have many. She knew she couldn’t overpower Lord Voldemort; he was the most powerful wizard who had ever lived. She knew she couldn’t escape with her sister. Really, there was only one option. “I wish to offer you a deal.” 

   The Dark Lord laughed. “Child, there is absolutely nothing you can offer me that I do not already have or cannot take.” 

   “There is one thing. My loyalty.” 

   The Dark Lord stopped pacing. He raised one elegant eyebrow. “Explain.” 

   “I will willingly take the Dark Mark. I will serve you for the rest of my life, alongside Lucius Malfoy as his wife. In exchange, you will free my sister, and allow her and the members of the Order of the Phoenix that I have so foolishly led into mortal peril to leave this Manor unharmed. That is all I ask of you.” Narcissa offered, hoping to Merlin that it would be enough. 

   “Narcissa, no!” Andromeda exclaimed shakily, but both the Dark Lord and Narcissa ignored her, though it pained Narcissa to hear such fear in her sister’s voice. 

   “One Black sister for another.” The Dark Lord said, consideringly, “You overlook the fact that I could merely force both of you to take the Dark Mark and forego this entire negotiation.” 

   “But then you would not have my loyalty. And you would be taking a great risk by doing so.” Narcissa said, immediately. 

   “How so?” the Dark Lord scoffed. 

   “Lucius Malfoy is very in love with me. His only son is very valuable to Lord Malfoy. Therefore, neither would allow you to mark me against my will. And if you disregarded their wishes and did so anyway, you would risk turning them against you. And I would say that a considerable number of your followers have just as much loyalty to the Malfoy family as they do to you, my Lord.” Narcissa realized that this was a very bold move. She had no idea if Lord Malfoy would defend her if the sequence of event she had laid out came to fruition. She just hoped that the Dark Lord would fear the possibility enough to negotiate with her. 

   “You are a very bold and clever creature. One might even call you brave. I will agree to your terms. But not because I fear Lord Malfoy and his power, but because I have a feeling that your  _ loyalty,  _ as you say, will be far more valuable to me than two unwilling Death Eaters. Far more valuable. I am gaining much more than I trade away.” The Dark Lord explained. 

   Narcissa wanted to tell him how very wrong he was, but she did not. He would never see her point of view. And he could read her thoughts anyway. She supposed she should probably have felt terror at the idea of becoming a Death Eater instead of just a Death Eater’s wife, but all she felt was relief. Her sister would be free to live her life, and that was all she’d ever wanted. She had always meant to sacrifice herself, in the end. 

   Narcissa bowed her head in submission and said, “Thank you, my Lord.” 

   Wordlessly, the Dark Lord waved his hand and the door to Andromeda’s cell opened. Her hands were also freed, and she dropped to the floor like a rag doll. Narcissa immediately ran to her sister’s side. Voldemort watched passively as she threw her arms around her sister, savoring what very well might be the last time she ever hugged her. 

   “Cissy, I can’t believe you did that. I’m not worth it.” Andromeda said, her voice filled with sorrow. 

   “You are, ‘Dromeda. Now you’re free to live your life, to be with Ted. You can go somewhere far away.” Narcissa said, hugging her sister close. 

   “But you’ll have to stay here! You gave up your life for mine, Narcissa.” Andromeda said, as if she couldn’t quite believe it. 

   “I’ll be with Lucius. And Severus and Rose.” Narcissa reminded her. 

   “Lucius. You only love him because this Manor wants you as part of the family. It’s inside your mind, Narcissa.” Andromeda insisted, and Narcissa had to admit that she hadn’t thought of that possibility before. It would explain a lot, though. But of course…

   “It doesn’t matter. This is the life I’ve chosen, and I wouldn’t take it back. I love you so much, my dear sister. I will miss you with all of my soul, every single day of my life, ‘Dromeda.” Narcissa said. 

   “I love you too. I will always remember the sacrifice you made for me. I will miss you just as much, if not more.” Andromeda said. 

   “Tell the others what happened. Sirius and Lily and Ted. I want them to know that I went into this willingly and they don’t need to rescue me, alright?” Narcissa requested. 

   Andromeda nodded. “I will. I swear to you I will tell them  _ exactly  _ what happened.” 

   Narcissa wiped tears from her eyes. “Now go. Live your life. Go before the Dark Lord changes his mind.” 

   “I will. I love you, Narcissa.” Andromeda said one last time, kissing her sister on top of her head and hugging her tight one last time. 

   “I love you too. Goodbye.” Narcissa said. 

   “Goodbye, Cissy,” Andromeda said, and with that she walked away. Narcissa forced herself to watch, even as her heart broke in two. She had to remember what her sister looked like on the last day they knew themselves as such, because after this day they would be enemies. But Andromeda would be free. And Narcissa had meant what she said: she would never have made any other choice. Her sister was everything to her, and she’d always known how her fate would turn out: this was how it was always going to be.


	41. A Ceremony

In the end, the Marking Ceremony was painful, but not as painful as it would have been to watch her dear sister endure it in her stead. Lucius held Narcissa’s hand as they approached the graveyard where Lord Voldemort held his ceremonies, and -- although Narcissa was scared -- her footsteps did not waver and her hands did not shake. Of that, she was very proud. 

   As the dreaded moment approached, more and more of the Death Eaters arrived, all wearing their cloaks and their masks to hide their faces. As she watched her parents, sister, fiance, and his family all don their own identity-hiding articles of clothing, Narcissa felt very, very, alone. There she was: a young woman in a black, sleeveless dress, her dark hair up in a complicated knot, and her very soul on the line, and all she could do was stand there and watch. 

   Finally, the Dark Lord himself arrived, and his Death Eaters quickly formed a circle, leaving those to be inducted along the inside. They left no gaps between them, ominously signaling that the time to run had passed. 

   There was silence as the Dark Lord stood and surveyed them, but then he said, loudly and clearly, “Those who wish to join my ranks, step forward. Kneel before your master and show your loyalty.” 

   Narcissa walked forward, her will entirely consumed by both fear and determination, and knelt. Those to be marked formed a much smaller circle around where the Dark Lord stood, and, shoulder to shoulder, clasped their hands together against the ground and rested their foreheads against their clasped hands. At any moment, the Dark Lord could choose to kill one of them if he sensed any treachery in their minds, and they would be powerless to stop him. 

   Severus was across the circle from Narcissa, but she knew they couldn’t even risk a moment of eye-contact for fear of the Dark Lord’s anger. Narcissa thought she saw at least one person under the Imperious curse, and she allowed herself one moment to feel sick at the idea that her dear sister was almost in the same place as that poor soul. 

   Then, Lord Voldemort announced, “May those who sponsor these young witches and wizards step forward, and take their places behind them.” 

   Several Death Eaters’ moved forward to stand behind those already kneeling before their Lord, and the larger circle of Death Eaters moved in just a bit to close ranks against the gaps this created. Once the wall of black-robed men and women was once again intact, the Dark Lord continued. 

   Narcissa herself could not see as she knelt, face held close to the ground, but she heard the Dark Lord turn to someone on her left, and she felt the presence of someone behind her. She knew it was her father, but it still made shivers of terror run down her spine, knowing she was so vulnerable to the mercy of all these dark wizards. 

   She heard the Dark Lord say, “Rise to your knees, and speak your name.” but she tuned out the rest of the ritual, waiting with all-consuming fear for her own turn. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, the Lord stood before her, and repeated the words he’d said to each person before her. 

   Forcing herself not to visible shake, Narcissa rose to her knees, looked up at the Dark Lord, and said, “I am Narcissa Malfoy.” 

   The Dark Lord did not seem surprised. The wedding was still nearly a month away, but he knew that it was her new identity that Narcissa associated with his service, not her birth name. 

   “And who vouches for the child, Narcissa Malfoy?” The Dark Lord continued. 

   “I, Lord Black, vouch for Narcissa Malfoy.” spoke Narcissa’s father, in a strong and powerful voice. Narcissa could hear no reluctance and doubt within it. 

   “You affirm that this child will be a worthy and loyal servant?” their Lord continued. 

   “I do, my Lord.” said Lord Black, still confident and steady.

   “And do you, Narcissa Malfoy, pledge yourself to my service?” Voldemort asked. 

   “I do, my Lord.” Narcissa said, trying to sound as though she believed it with all her soul. 

   “Will you be loyal to me, above and before any and all familial connections?” 

   “I will, my Lord.” Narcissa agreed, without a moment’s hesitation. 

   “Present your arm to me, my child.” the Dark Lord ordered, holding out his left hand. 

   Narcissa raised her own left arm, palm facing up, and barely managed not to flinch as Voldemort took hold of it just below her elbow. His skin was just as cold as she’d imagined. As he incanted the spell to burn the mark into her skin and began to slowly trace the shape of the skull and snake with his wand, Narcissa clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut, but managed not to cry out in pain as a few others before her had. 

   The Marking felt like the Cruciatus curse: the pain radiated throughout her body, not just her arm, and it was hot like fire, but did not numb like a burn did as it destroyed skin. The pain was continuously unbearable and the Marking was unbearably slow. Narcissa wondered, in the days that followed, if the Dark Lord prolonged the experience because he enjoyed causing pain. 

   Finally, it was over. The Dark Lord released her arm, and Narcissa immediately dropped it to her side, although what she really wanted was to cradle it to her chest. She was still in pain, though it was no longer the agony it had been mere seconds before. The Mark on her arm already felt alive. She could feel it wriggling inside her skin, like a parasite she was constantly aware of. 

   “Rise now, as a member of my ranks.” The Dark Lord said, and Narcissa stood, dizzy and concentrating hard to remain on her feet, and tried not to feel demoralized as she realized that most of the circle had yet to be marked. 

   As she stood watching the next few people received the Dark Lord’s mark, she tried to concentrate on feeling nothing. That was hard to do when her own Dark Mark was so alive and eager to be in the presence of its master, and she could hear the screams of about half of the inductees as they received their Marks. 

   The only time she paid true attention was when the Dark Lord marked Severus Snape as one of his Death Eaters. To her surprise, Lord Malfoy was his sponsor. Lucius had not told her about this, although it was probably meant to be kept a secret. Perhaps her fiance himself hadn’t known beforehand. Severus did not scream as the Mark was burned into his skin. Narcissa was proud, although she had expected nothing less from her bravest friend. 

   When the ceremony was complete and all Marks had been received, the Dark Lord announced, “I welcome you all to my service and will call upon you when you are required.” and then disapparated. 

   The moment he was gone, Narcissa dropped back down to the ground, the dizziness and pain getting the best of her now that the danger had passed. Narcissa could hear most of the Death Eaters disapparating as well. Mainly those who had participated in the ceremony remained. 

   A moment passed, and then Narcissa felt Lucius wrap his arms around her. He had removed his mask but still wore the robes. He whispered, “I know it hurts, Precious, but you were so brave.” 

   They remained there for a moment. Narcissa did not cry, but she was in need of comfort nonetheless and was grateful to receive it. And then, once she’d stopped shaking, Lucius released her, but then he gently took hold of her left arm and then just as gently pressed his lips to the Mark there. He leaned their foreheads together, and held on to both of her hands, and Narcissa was incredibly grateful that she was not there alone. 

   She realized, however, that someone else she cared about  _ was _ there alone. And so, she extricated herself from Lucius’s grasp, and when he looked at her in confusion, she just gave him a brave smile, and began walking shakily over to where Severus, her oldest and now dearest friend, was still curled on the ground as she had been moments before. 

   And though he usually was very reluctant to receive hugs, Snape did not refuse the one she gave him that day, in the dark Graveyard where Lord Voldemort’s muggle father laid to rest, on the day they both signed their souls away to the same monster. A moment later, Narcissa grabbed his arm and carefully held her own up next to it, so that their Marks were side by side and facing each other. They were no longer squirming since the Dark Lord had left, but they seemed glad to be in each other’s presence, because they gave a jolt of recognition. As Narcissa looked into Severus’s eyes, she knew that the two of  _ them  _ were grateful to be there together as well. 

   She figured they’d go through a lot together in the next few years. 


	42. A Different Kind of Ceremony

 Narcissa’s wedding to Lucius Malfoy was a much more pleasant affair in many ways. For one, the Dark Lord was not present, although he did send a card of congratulation, another document for Narcissa’s drawer of letters that she was unable or unwilling to burn. 

   For another, she was wearing a white dress this time, and it had long sleeves, which irritated her Dark Mark, but that was ok because at least then she couldn’t see it. 

   Lucius looked handsome as well, and her parents seemed very proud of her. Her father stood tall as he walked her down the aisle, and her mother had a self-satisfied smile as she stood to the side of the altar. 

   And most importantly, when she said, “I do.” Narcissa found that she did not feel the least bit coerced or controlled, despite what she’d felt when this had all begun. 

   When Lucius kissed her for the first time after becoming her husband, she felt an outpouring of love that she couldn’t have even imagined a few months ago. In the dark web of fate that controlled her life, she was grateful at least for Lucius’s genuine love, for Rose Parkinson, her Maid of Honor, and for Severus Snape, who was smiling for once from his front-row seat. 

   And as she scanned the grounds of Malfoy Manor, the location of the ceremony, she thought she spotted a huge black dog hidden away in the trees, one that she might have mistaken for the Grim… if she hadn’t known better. 

   She hoped her cousin told Andromeda how happy Narcissa was that day, and she hoped her sister believed him when he did. Because it was true. Although Narcissa wished Andromeda could have been there herself, she was truly happy on her Wedding day. That, at least, was not a lie, or a sacrifice that she was forced to make. 

   The first time she saw her reflection after the ceremony, Narcissa realized that her hair had indeed turned pale blonde, as she had been warned would happen. She found that it suited her. There it was: tangible proof that Narcissa Malfoy had indeed left her old identity behind, just as she had always known was her destiny, and become who she was always meant to be. 


	43. Epilogue

_ 20 Years Later: The Battle of Hogwarts _

   Narcissa Malfoy had spent most of the battle hidden away, and although she resented her deteriorating husband for trying to protect her, she knew it was for the best: if she had been caught stunning members of the Order of the Phoenix rather than killing them, her cover might have been blown. Ever since Lord Voldemort had returned from the dead she had been quietly working with Severus Snape to deliver as much information as possible to the Order. 

   Only Dumbledore had known that Narcissa was not as dedicated to Voldemort’s service as it may have appeared, and now he was dead, Severus was dead, Andromeda’s Ted was dead, and Harry Potter was slowly approaching them through the woods where he might very well die and end the battle once and for all. Narcissa hoped against hope that her precious, dearest, son was still alive, though she had no idea. Narcissa felt completely helpless, and though she resented it, she had become very used to feeling helpless in the last few years. 

   Ever since Lucius had fallen in the esteem of the Dark Lord, Narcissa was no longer privy to the information she had grown used to previously. Without information, she had nothing to contribute to Severus’s spying endeavors, and with the Dark Lord using her Manor as a headquarters, she had been unable to do much else to counter him. 

   The most helpless she’d ever felt, however, was the day her son, her Draco, had received the Dark Mark. She had delivered him there, and she had been his sponsor, and she had held him as he cried for hours after the ceremony was over. She hated herself for being unable to think of a way around that particular sacrifice: Voldemort would have killed them both had they refused, and they had been forced to do anything they could to survive. Severus, however, had protected her son from tainting his soul with murder, and for that Narcissa could not be more grateful. 

   She had never been more proud of Draco than she was the day he refused to identify Harry Potter to Bellatrix: she had seen the recognition in her son’s eyes, and even if she hadn’t she would have recognized her dear friend Lily’s eyes anywhere. Narcissa had been secretly pleased to find out they were both pregnant the same year -- Rose had been pregnant that year, too, on top of it all -- and she had been almost as heartbroken as Severus the day that Lily was killed. 

   She had known, even then, that the Dark Lord was not gone for good. And she had been right. When he had returned, she had vowed to herself that he would die for real this time, no matter what she had to do to make it happen. 

   She felt all her hopes vanish, however, as she watched Lord Voldemort’s killing curse hit Harry Potter that day in the woods, and then watched him collapse unceremoniously to the ground. She had rushed forward immediately, without care for how that would seem to the others, hoping that Potter had again performed his miracle and was somehow alive. 

   When she felt his pulse she felt euphoria unlike any other, and she couldn’t resist asking if Draco was still alive, even though she knew she was risking everything by doing so. When she saw him nod, she couldn’t believe that what she’d thought what she felt  _ before  _ was euphoria: as long as her son was alive she would be alright, she knew everything would be fine. 

   She did not have to fake her smile as she looked up and said, “The boy is dead.” She felt Potter twitch as she did so, as if he couldn’t quite believe she had protected him. She nearly chuckled aloud. She was glad to finally contribute to the downfall of Lord Voldemort, something she had been hoping to do since the day he had harmed her sister, Andromeda. 

   You see, Lord Voldemort had never truly had Narcissa Malfoy’s loyalty, despite what she’d promised him the day he’d let her sister go. The only reason she was still alive was that the Dark Lord did not truly understand the  _ meaning  _ of loyalty. Loyalty did not mean obedience, although that was what the Dark Lord believed. Loyalty was about the  _ heart.  _ And Narcissa’s love had always belonged to Andromeda, Sirius, Lily, Severus, Lucius, and most of all, Draco, her only son. 

   And although she hadn’t known it yet, Narcissa’s actions on that day would lead to her being reunited with Andromeda, finally, after twenty years, all because Harry Potter would defend her in front of the Wizengamot and say that Narcissa Malfoy was the reason he was able to kill Voldemort once and for all. 

   Years from that day, she would be glad that although she was remembered as a villain, inside her heart she knew better, and the people who mattered knew better as well. 

   One day in particular, Narcissa was especially grateful that she had made the right decision. Her son had brought  _ his  _ son to visit her, and right after she’d hugged young Scorpius Malfoy in greeting, he’d grabbed the Wizarding history book he’d dropped in his excitement at seeing her and said, “Grandma, my best friend Albus told me that his dad said that you were the reason he was able to kill You-Know-Who, and I looked it up and found out it’s true!” 

   The pride in her grandson’s eyes and the amusement in her son’s as she looked up at him after that statement made Narcissa realize that although the web of fate had taken her on a treacherous journey, the end destination was better than she ever could have dreamed. And she wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This story has been an incredible journey: I started writing it more than two years ago! I honestly can't believe I've finally finished it. I hope I've done Narcissa Malfoy justice. I always thought she was a character who deserved a better story, or at least a more detailed one. If you liked this, please leave kudos or a comment: they make my day! <3


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